THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

Ex  Libris 

Katharine  F.  Richmond 

and 
Henry  C.  Fall 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


OLD  TOWNSHIP  OF  DUNSTABLE: 


INCLUDING 


LITCHFIELD,  AND  MERRIMAC,  N.  H. ; 


DUNSTABLE  AND  TYNGSBQROUGH, 


MASS. 


BY    CHARLES  J.    FOX. 


NASHUA : 
CHARLES  T.  GILL,  PUBLISHER. 

1846. 


Entered  tccvrdioc  to  Act  of  Centre**,  in  the  year  Kight««-n  Hundred  and  Forty-six, 

BY  CHARLES  J.  FOX, 

In  th«  OSce  of  the  Clerk  of  the  JBistrlct  Court  of  the  United  States   in   aflrf  for 
the  District  of  New  Hampshire. 


NOTICE. 

A  FEW  pages  only  of  this  volume  were  in 
type,  when  its  author  was  called  away  by  death, 
from  the  community  who  esteemed  and  the 
friends  who  loved  him.  As  arrangements  had 
been  made  for  the  publication  of  the  work,  a 
large  subscription  obtained,  and  the  promise  of 
its  appearance  given  to  the  public,  it  was  thought 
best  that  no  delay  should  take  place.  The  his- 
tory, as  prepared  by  Mr.  Fox,  extended  to  the 
year  1840,  during  which  the  greater  part  of  it 
was  written.  He  had  however,  when  undertak- 
ing its  publication,  procured  information  from  va- 
rious sources,  as  to  transactions  since  that  peri- 
od, especially  with  regard  to  the  present  state  of 
business  in  the  village  of  Nashua.  To  condense 
this  information,  and  incorporate  it  with  what 
had  been  previously  written,  —  to  collect  such 
additional  facts  as  seemed  desirable  to  be  pre- 
served in  a  volume  of  this  kind,  and  to  superin- 
tend the  mechanical  execution  of  the  work,  has 
been  the  task  of  the  author's  friends, —  a  task  of 
some  delicacy  and  difficulty,  but  rendered  inter- 
esting not  only  by  the  nature  of  the  work  itself, 


1CS615Q 


IV.  NOTICE. 

but  by  its  connection  with  one,  who  left  so  many 
claims  to  the  affectionate  remembrance  of  those 
who  knew  him.  If  under  such  circumstances, 
mistakes  should  be  found  to  have  passed  uncor- 
rected,  which  the  eye  of  the  author  would  have 
discovered,  — or  if  the  information  given  should 
seem  deficient  on  any  point  where  the  further  re- 
searches of  the  writer  would  have  supplied  it, 
the  indulgence  of  the  reader  is  requested. 

Of  the  Author  himself,  a  brief  notice  in  this 
place  will  doubtless  be  expected  by  those  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  work  is  published.  It  is  hoped  that 
before  long,  a  more  full  account  of  his  character, 
labors  and  influence  will  be  presented  to  the 
world  by  one  who  knew  him  intimately,  and  who 
is  in  every  respect  eminently  suited  to  the  task. 

CHARLES  JAMES  Fox  was  born  at  Antrim,  N. 
H.,  in  the  month  of  October,  1811.  He  received 
his  preparatory  education  at  Dartmouth  College, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1831.  He  pursued 
the  study  of  law,  at  first  in  the  law  school  of 
Yale  College,  and  afterwards  with  Daniel  Abbot, 
Esq.,  of  Nashua  (now  Nashville,)  N.  H:  With 
this  gentleman  he  subsequently  entered  into  part- 
nership. Having  been  chosen  in  1837  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature,  he  was  appointed  in 
connection  with  Judge  Parker  and  Mr.  Bell,  to 
prepare  for  publication  the  Revised  Statutes  of 


NOTICE.  V. 

New  Hampshire.  The  great  labor  which  he  en- 
countered in  the  fulfilment  of  this  duty,  added  to 
that  of  an  extensive  legal  practice,  it  is  believed 
laid  the  foundation  of  that  disease  which  at  so 
early  a  period,  deprived  the  community  of  his 
valuable  life. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Fox,  in  connection  with  Rev. 
Samuel  Osgood,  then  pastor  of  the  Unitarian 
Church  in  Nashua,  prepared  and  published  the 
"  New  Hampshire  Book,"  a  collection  of  pieces 
in  prose  and  verse,  from  the  writings  of  natives 
and  adopted  citizens  of  this  state. 

While  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  Mr.  Fox 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  establishment  of  the 
State  Lunatic  Asylum,  of  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  Directors. 

On  the  third  of  June,  1840,  Mr.  Fox  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Catherine  P.  Abbot, 
the  daughter  of  his  partner. 

In  the  year  1843,  Mr.  Fox,  in  consequence  of 
his  declining  health,  took  a  voyage  to  the  Medi- 
terranean, visiting  the  interesting  countries  which 
surround  that  sea,  and  extending  his  travels  as 
far  as  Egypt. 

This  voyage  not  having  accomplished  the  res- 
toration of  his  health,  in  the  following  autumn 
he  sailed  for  the  West  Indies,  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Fox.  Notwithstanding  his  feeble  state  of 
body,  he  looked  on  the  scenes  around  him  with 


IV.  NOTICE. 

but  by  its  connection  with  one,  who  left  so  many 
claims  to  the  affectionate  remembrance  of  those 
who  knew  him.  If  under  such  circumstances, 
mistakes  should  be  found  to  have  passed  uncor- 
rected,  which  the  eye  of  the  author  would  have 
discovered,  —  or  if  the  information  given  should 
seem  deficient  on  any  point  where  the  further  re- 
searches of  the  writer  would  have  supplied  it, 
the  indulgence  of  the  reader  is  requested. 

Of  the  Author  himself,  a  brief  notice  in  this 
place  will  doubtless  be  expected  by  those  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  work  is  published.  It  is  hoped  that 
before  long,  a  more  full  account  of  his  character, 
labors  and  influence  will  be  presented  to  the 
world  by  one  who  knew  him  intimately,  and  who 
is  in  every  respect  eminently  suited  to  the  task. 

CHARLES  JAMES  Fox  was  born  at  Antrim,  N. 
H.,  in  the  month  of  October,  1811.  He  received 
his  preparatory  education  at  Dartmouth  College, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1831.  He  pursued 
the  study  of  law,  at  first  in  the  law  school  of 
Yale  College,  and  afterwards  with  Daniel  Abbot, 
Esq.,  of  Nashua  (now  Nashville,)  N.  H:  With 
this  gentleman  he  subsequently  entered  into  part- 
nership. Having  been  chosen  in  1837  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature,  he  was  appointed  in 
connection  with  Judge  Parker  and  Mr.  Bell,  to 
prepare  for  publication  the  Revised  Statutes  of 


»•  =38 

NOTICE.  V. 

New  Hampshire.  The  great  labor  which  he  en- 
countered in  the  fulfilment  of  this  duty,  added  to 
that  of  an  extensive  legal  practice,  it  is  believed 
laid  the  foundation  of  that  disease  which  at  so 
early  a  period,  deprived  the  community  of  his 
valuable  life. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Fox,  in  connection  with  Rev. 
Samuel  Osgood,  then  pastor  of  the  Unitarian 
Church  in  Nashua,  prepared  and  published  the 
"New  Hampshire  Book,"  a  collection  of  pieces 
in  prose  and  verse,  from  the  writings  of  natives 
and  adopted  citizens  of  this  state. 

While  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  Mr.  Fox 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  establishment  of  the 
State  Lunatic  Asylum,  of  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  Directors. 

On  the  third  of  June,  1840,  Mr.  Fox  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Catherine  P.  Abbot, 
the  daughter  of  his  partner. 

In  the  year  1843,  Mr.  Fox,  in  consequence  of 
his  declining  health,  took  a  voyage  to  the  Medi- 
terranean, visiting  the  interesting  countries  which 
surround  that  sea,  and  extending  his  travels  as 
far  as  Egypt. 

This  voyage  not  having  accomplished  the  res- 
toration of  his  health,  in  the  following  autumn 
he  sailed  for  the  West  Indies,  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Fox.  Notwithstanding  his  feeble  state  of 
body,  he  looked  on  the  scenes  around  him  with 


VI.  NOTICE. 

an  observant  eye,  and  treasured  up  many  inter- 
esting and  instructive  reminiscences,  which  were 
in  part  given  to  .the  world  after  his  return,  in  a 
series  of  letters,  published  in  the  Nashua  Gazette. 

During  this  visit  to  the  West  Indies,  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery  especially  engaged  his  attention. 
He  viewed  it  with  the  feelings  of  a  philanthro- 
pist, united  with  the  calm  judgment  of  a  lawyer; 
and  had  his  health  permitted  him  to  complete  his 
first  design  in  the  letters  above  referred  to,  his 
testimony  on  this  subject  would  have  possessed 
a  peculiar  value.  Enough  however  is  contained 
in  the  letters  which  he  was  able  to  write  and 
publish,  to  show  his  deep  and  enlightened  inter- 
est in  whatever  concerned  the  rights  and  the 
welfare  of  his  fellow  beings.] 

From  this  journey  he  returned  in  a  state  of 
great  feebleness,  in  June,  1845.  During  the  suc- 
ceeding fall  and  winter,  he  gradually  sunk, 
though  with  intervals  of  apparent  improvement, 
until  his  death,  which  took  place  February  17th. 
1846.  Industrious  to  the  last,  the  hours  when 
such  exertion  was  possible,  were  devoted  to  the 
revision  of  the  History  which  is  now  presented 
to  the  public,  and  to  poetical  compositions,  chief- 
ly on  religious  subjects. 

The  character  of  Mr.  Fox  had  always,  it  is 
believed,  been  marked  by  purity  and  upright- 
ness. As  early  as  1838,  he  became  a  member  of 
fr 


' 


NOTICE.  vii. 

the  Unitarian  Church  in  Nashua ;  he  was  an  ef- 
ficient teacher  in  the  Sunday  School,  and  a  firm 
supporter  of  religious  institutions  and  enterpri- 
ses, until  sickness  compelled  him  lo  retire  from 
public  action.  His  views  in  the  anticipation  of 
death  were  calm  ;  he  seemed  to  be  without  fear, 
and  to  rest  on  the  assurances  of  his  Heavenly 
Father's  love.  Only  when  he  spoke  of  the  great- 
ness of  the  blessings  which  that  love  had  provid- 
ed, did  his  voice  falter,  and  his  dying  words  seem 
too  weak  to  express  his  overflowing  gratitude. 
With  such  ties  to  life  as  few  possess,  beloved  and 
honored  by  the  community,  dear  to  the  Church 
of  Christ,  and  cherished  as  a  son,  a  husband  and 
a  father,  he  surrendered  himself  with  calm  faith 
to  the  will  of  his  Creator. 


CONTENTS. 


Notice,      .     .    .     •«-'•"';» Page  iii. 

Preface,     ....."  .r 3 

Introduction, 5 


CHAPTER  I.  THE  FIRST  SETTLERS  OF  DUN- 
STABLE. 

Early  settlers  of  New  England.  Valleys  of  the  Mer- 
rimac  and  Nashua.  Winnipisiogee.  Chelrnsford 
and  Groton.  Johnson  and  Willard's  company. — 
Litchfield.  Amherst.  Milford.  Grant  to  John 
Whiting  at  Salmon  Brook.  Grants  to  Billerica ;  — 
to  Gov.  Endicott ;  —  Henry  Kimball.  Ancient  and 
Honorable  Artillery  Company.  Petition  for  incor- 
poration. Conditions.  Boundaries.  Name  of 
Dunstable.  Original  proprietors.  Lieut.  Wheeler. 
John  Cromwell.  Indian  tribes.  Passaconoway. — 
Wannalancet.  Wickasuck  Island.  Character  and 
customs  of  the  Indians.  "The  Bashaba's  Feast." 
First  settlers  of  Dunstable.  First  house  lots.  Or- 
chards. Old  Fort.  Articles  of  agreement.  Desig- 
nation of  place  for  the  meeting  house 7 


CHAPTER  II.    THE  INDIAN  WAR  OF  1675. 

King  Philip.  Perilous  situation  of  Dunstable.  In- 
dians remove.  Garrison  increased.  Measures  of 
Governor  and  Council.  Friendship  of  Wannalan- 
cet. Mr.  Tyng  alone  remains  in  Dunstable.  His 
petition.  Attack  on  Chelmsford.  Fort  at  Paw- 
tucket  Falls.  End  of  the  War.  Treatment  of  the 
friendly  Indians.  Mr.  Tyng  appointed  their  guar- 
dian. Allowances  to  him  and  to  Thomas  Wheeler. 


CONTENTS.  IX. 


Sudden  appearance  of  Mohawks.  Second  appear- 
ance. Wannalancet  retires  to  Canada.  Treaty 
of  Nimeguen 28 


CHAPTER  HI.    HISTORY  FROM  1675  TO  1685. 

Town  meetings.  Selectmen.  Efforts  to  settle  a  min- 
ister ;  — to  build  a  meeting  house.  Freeman's  oath. 
First  meeting  house.  First  births  in  the  town. — 
Saw  Mill.  Settlement  of  Mr.  Weld.  Character 
of  the  people.  Extracts  from  the  records  of  the 
Colony.  Town  meetings.  Appearance  of  a  comet. 
Death  of  Hon.  Edward  Tyng.  Increase  of  the 
town.  Regulations  respecting  taxes, —  wood, — 
swine.  Mine  Islands.  Hezekiah  Usher.  Supposed 
Mines.  Guard  continued.  Prices  of  wood.  High- 
way from  Groton.  "Thirty  acre  rights."  Settle- 
ment of  Mr.  Tyng's  claim.  Proprietors'  names. 
Salary  of  Mr.  Weld.  Proceedings  relative  to  a 
meeting  house.  Specie  and  produce.  Town  offi- 
cers. Taxes.  New  alarm  from  the  Indians. — 
"The  Pilgrim's  Vision." 38 


CHAPTER   IV.      HISTORY  FROM    1685   TO    THE 
DEATH  OF  REV.  MR.  WELD  IN  1702. 

Meeting  house  built.  Ordination  of  Mr.  Weld.  First 
church  members.  Covenant  of  neighboring  church- 
es. Churches  in  New  Hampshire  at  this  date. — 
Cranfield's  oppressive  edict.  Removal  of  the  In- 
dians. Bridge  in  Billerica.  Singular  office.  Rev- 
olution of  1688.  French  War  of  1689.  Indian 
attack  on  Dover.  Garrisons.  Letter  of  Major 
Henchman.  Tythingman.  Indian  ravages. — 
Truce.  War  renewed.  Murder  of  Hassell  and 
others.  Garrisons  in  Dunstable.  Representatives 
chosen.  Strict  regulation  to  prevent  settlers  remov- 
ing. Grants  for  support  of  the  ministry.  Return 
of  Wannalancet.  Treaty  of  Ryswick.  Joe  Eng- 
lish. His  adventures.  Grant  to  him.  Capture 
of  Mrs.  Duston  at  Haverhill.  State  of  the  town. 
Compensation  of  Mr.  Weld.  Billerica  bridge. — 
Bridge  over  Salmon  Brook.  Wood-rate.  Puritan 


X.  CONTENTS. 


simplicity.  List  of  inhabitants.  Vote  to  glaze  the 
meeting  house.  Petition  for  aid  to  support  the  min- 
istry. Death  of  Mr.  Weld.  His  history.  ...  55 


CHAPTER  V.     INDIAN  WARS  FROM  1703  TO  1713. 

Intercourse  with  the  Indians.  Measures  for  defence. 
The  Old  Fort.  Queen  Anne's  War.  Bounty  for 
scalps.  Capt.  Tyng.  Massacre  of  the  Parris  fami- 
ly. Petition  for  assistance.  Block  house.  Cus- 
toms at  funerals.  Garrison  withdrawn.  Grant  to 
S.  Butterfield.  Attack  on  the  Weld  garrison;  — 
Blanchard's; — Galusha's.  Grants  by  General 
Court.  Petition  of  Jacob  Gallusha.  Ambuscade. 
Death  of  Joe  English.  Precautions  against  the  In- 
dians. Garrisons.  Whiting.  Hassell.  Account 
of  Indian  wars  from  Bancroft, —  from  Mary  Row- 
landson 75 


CHAPTER  VI.    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  FROM 
1702  TO  1737. 

Imperfect  accounts.  Grant  to  the  town.  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Hunt.  His  petition.  Rev.  Mr.  Parris.  Meet- 
ing house  repaired.  Assistance  continued.  In- 
creased prosperity.  Rev.  Mr.  Cheever.  Salary. — 
Mr.  Treat.  Votes.  Rev.  Mr.  Peirpoint.  Rev.  Mr. 
Coffin.  Facetious  remark  of  Col.  Taylor.  Rev. 
Mr.  Prentice.  His  marriage  and  death.  Salary.  94 


CHAPTER  VII.    INDIAN  ATTACK  OF  1724. 

Peace  of  Utrecht.  Prosperity.  Indian  disturbances 
renewed.  Jesuits.  Father  Rasle.  Attack  at  Merry 
Meeting  Bay.  Frontier  towns.  Dover.  Garrison 
at  Dunstable.  Pecker's  company, — Fairbanks'^. — 
Death  of  Hon.  Jonathan  Tyng.  Scouts.  Attack 
on  Norridgewock,  and  death  of  Rasle.  Incursion 
of  Mohawks.  Cross  and  Blanchard  captured.  The 
pursuers  waylaid  and  cutoff.  Monument.  Second 
fight.  Name  of  Indian  Head.  William  Lund  cap- 
tured   102 


CONTENTS.  XI. 


CHAPTER  VIII.    LOVEWELL'S  WAR  AND  LOVE- 
WELL'S  FIGHT. 

Petition  of  Lovewell  and  others.  The  Pequawketts. 
Lovewell's  first  expedition.  Its  success.  Second 
excursion.  Thirty  men  dismissed.  Surprise  ten 
Indians.  Capt.  Tyng's  excursion.  Lovewell's 
third  expedition.  Fort  built  and  guard  left  there. 
Names  of  the  party  who  proceeded.  Arrive  at  a 
pond.  Particular  account  of  the  Fight.  Fate  of 
the  survivors.  Liberality  of  the  General  Assembly. 
Expedition  to  bury  the  dead.  Petition  of  Dunsca- 
ble.  Petition  of  John  Lovewell,  senior.  Further 
military  operations.  Alarm  of  the  Indians.  Fur- 
ther compensation  to  Lovewell's  party.  Ballad  on 
Lovewell's  fight.  Death  of  Paugus.  Second  Bal- 
lad. Restoration  of  peace.  Anecdotes  of  Indian 
hostilities >-,---  .  ,.».,'<  Ill 


CHAPTER  IX.  CIVIL  HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN 
UNTIL  ITS  DIVISION  BY  THE  NEW  STATE 
LINE  IN  1741. 

Increase  of  the  town.  Poverty.  Bills  of  credit. — 
Loan  to  Mr.  Prentice.  Depreciation.  Representa- 
tives. Extracts  from  the  records.  The  meeting 
house.  Pews  erected.  First  pauper.  Grand  jury- 
men. Tythingman.  Billerica  bridge.  Vote  by 
ballot.  Customs  of  the  time.  Ferry-boat.  Earth- 
quake. Inn-keepers.  Boom  built.  Legal  pro- 
ceedings. Taxes.  Education.  Laws  relating  to 
it.  Difficulty  of  observing  them.  Town  indicted. 
Small  amount  raised.  Neglect.  Various  disputes. 
Settlements  extended.  Nottingham,  (Hudson.) — 
Merrimac.  Litchfield.  Vote  to  build  a  new  meet- 
ing house.  Hollis.  Townsend.  Settlement  of 
the  State  Line.  Rev.  Mr.  Swan  settled.  "New 
Lights."  New  meeting  house  built 135 


. .  a 

Xli.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X.     HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE,  N.  H., 
TO  THE  OLD  FRENCH  WAR. 

Incorporation  by  New  Hampshire.  Road  to  Tyngs- 
borough.  Mr.  Swan  dismissed.  Anecdote  of  him. 
Schools.  Indian  hostilities.  Soldiers  impressed. 
Farwell  and  Taylor  captured.  Rev.  Mr.  Bird  set- 
tled. Divisions  in  the  church.  Proceedings  de- 
clared illegal.  Mr.  Bird  leaves  Dunstable.  Bitter- 
ness of  feeling.  Petition  of  the  inhabitants  of  Pine 
Hill.  Schools.  Bridges  over  the  Nashua.  Death 
and  character  of  John  Lovewell.  Statistics.  Rev. 
Mr.  Adams  preaches.  New  meeting  house  built.  .  150 


CHAPTER  XI.    HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE  FROM 
THE  FRENCH  WAR  TO  THE  REVOLUTION. 

Patriotic  spirit  of  the  people.  Expedition  to  Crown 
Point.  New  Hampshire  Regiment.  Subsequent 
Armaments.  Rogers's  Rangers.  Dunstable  men 
in  the  service.  Col.  Goffe's  regiment.  Singular 
order.  Church  affairs.  RRV.  Mr.  Smith.  Protest. 
Notice  of  Col.  Blanchard.  Rev.  Josiah  Cotton. — 
Ecclesiastical  Council.  Compromise.  Town  meet- 
ing on  points  of  doctrine.  Rev.  Mr.  Livermore. — 
Rev.  Mr.  Fessenden.  Rev.  Mr.  Kidder  settled.  No- 
tice of  him.  Rev.  Mr.  Sperry.  Slaves  owned  in 
town.  Customs  at  funerals 159 


CHAPTER  XII.     REVOLUTIONARY  HISTORY  OF 
DUNSTABLE. 

Revolutionary  feelings.  Favored  by  the  organization  in 
townships.  Right  of  representation  granted  by  the 
General  Assembly.  Conventions  at  Exeter.  Con- 
stitution for  the  State.  Fight  at  Lexington.  Walk- 
er's company.  Statistics.  Character  of  the  N.  H. 
troops.  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence anticipated.  Depreciation  of  paper 
money.  Meeting  in  consequence.  Three  regi- 
ments raised  in  the  State.  Company  for  Canada. 
Similar  efforts  the  next  year.  Bounty  offered. — 


CONTENTS.  Xiil. 


Surrender  of  Burgoyne.  Committee  of  Safety. — 
Convention  to  regulate  prices.  Articles  of  Confed- 
eration. State  Constitution.  Rejected.  Volun- 
teers. Representative.  Patriotic  exertions  of  the 
people .  .  .  .  .  169 


CHAPTER  XIIL     HISTORY  TO  THE  ORIGIN   OF 
NASHUA  VILLAGE. 

Sacrifices  made  for  independence.  Convention  for 
State  Constitution.  Representatives.  Convention  to 
adopt  Constitution  of  U.  S.  Different  opinions. — 
Vote  of  the  town  against  it.  Notice  of  Hon.  Jona- 
than filanchard, — of  Judge  Jonathan  Lovevvell  .  .  186 


CHAPTER  XIV.    HISTORY  OF  NASHUA  VILLAGE. 

First  Stage  Coach.  Boating  on  the  Merrimac.  Pop- 
ulation in  1800.  Canal  Boat  launched.  Oration. 
Name  of  Nashua.  Description  of  the  Village.  Post 
Office.  Middlesex  Canal.  Gradual  increase.  Dun- 
stable  plains.  Changes  in  Main  street.  New  meet- 
ing house  built  Rev.  Mr.  Sperry  ordained.  Dams 
across  Nashua  River.  Census.  Manufactures  con- 
templated. First  views.  Nashua  Manufacturing 
Company.  Their  works.  Boating  Canal.  Indian 
Head  Company.  Meeting  house  on  Olive  street 
erected.  History  of  the  two  Congregational  Socie- 
ties. New  Bridge.  Taylor's  Falls  Bridge.  Unita- 
rian Church.  Present  state  of  Nashua  Manufactur- 
ing Company.  Jackson  Company.  Newspapers. 
First  Baptist  Church.  Methodist  Churches. — 
Growth  of  the  Village.  Railroads.  Bank.  Steam- 
boat. Universalist  Church.  Population.  Second 
Baptist  Church.  Name  of  the  town  changed. — 
Free-will  Baptist  Church.  First  Christian  Society. 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  Machine  Shop.— • 
Manufacturing  and  Mechanics  Association.  Iron 
Foundry.  Factory  at  Salmon  Brook.  Vote  to  erect 
a  Town  House.  Town  of  Nashville  organized.— 
Contrast  of  the  past  and  present 193 


XIV.  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XV.    NOTICES  OF  TOWNS  INCLUDED 
IN  OLD  DUNSTABLE. 

Historical  Sketch  of  Hudson 216 

Historical  Sketch  of  Litchfield       . 290 

Historical  Sketch  of  Merrimac 222 

Historical  Sketch  of  Hollis 229 


APPENDIX. 

I.  Genealogy  of  the  Early  Settlers  of  Dunstable   .    237 

II.  List  of  Soldiers  in  the  Army,  from  Dunstable     .     254 

III.  Town  House  and  Cemetery 257 

IV.  Population  of  Nashua  and  Nashville,  ....  261 

V.  Lawyers  and  Physicians ,     .  263 

VI.  List  of  Representatives 265 

VII.  Proportion  of  Taxes  at  various  periods    .     .     .  268 

VIII.  Value  of  Silver  at  different  periods      ....  269 

IX.  Post  Office 270 

X.  Inventory  and  Expenses  of  Nashua      .    .    .     .272 

XI.  District  Schools .275 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


T( 


PRE  FACE* 


THE  fcllowing  work  was  undertaken  in  consequence  of  a  vote 
passed  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  live  New  Hampshire  Historical 
Society,  June,  1840,  appointing  the  Author  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  upon  Histories  of  Towns.  It  was  remarked  that  great 
deficiencies  existed,  and  that  materials  should  be  speedily  collected 
while  so  many  of  tire  immediate  descendants  of  the  first  settlers 
were  yet  living.  Attention  was  thus  turned  to  the  subject:  —  an 
examination  of  ancient  records  made  and  a  collection  of  materials 
commenced,  and  the  result  is  the  compilation  which  is  now  submit- 
ted to  the  public. 

It  would  be  inconvenient  and  burdensome  to  cite  the  authority 
for  every  statement  that  is  made,  but  the  reader  may  be  assured 
that  no  fat;t  is  slated  as  such  Without  what  is  deemed  to  be  good 
authority.  The  value  of  a  work  like  this  depends  in  a  great  mea- 
sure upon  the  accuracy  of  its  details,  and  to  this  the  writer  confi- 
dently lays  claim.  A  large  portion  is  extracted  from  the  Town  and 
Proprietary  Records  of  Dunstable.  which  are  in  a  good  state  of  pre- 
s«rvation,  excepting  a  few  years  between  1&94  and  1710.  Much 
has  been  derived  from  the  Town,  Military,  Ecclesiastical,  Pecuni- 
ary, and  Legislative  Records  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachu- 
setts, prior  to  1741,  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  at  Bos- 
ton. For  many  accommodations  in  examining  and  copying  the 
Records  I  am  indebted  to  Rev.  Joseph  B.  Felt,  who  has  been  em- 
ployed for  many  years  by  the  State  in  arranging  and  binding  them. 
The  materials  for  minute  and  accurate  history  there  collected  and 
arranged  by  Mr.  Felt,  are  vevy  curious  and  valuable.  A  similar 
collection  of  papers,  belonging  to  a  period  subs«quent  to  1741,  and 
including  the  French  and  Revolutionary  wars,  is  found  in  the  office 
of  the  Secretary  of  this  State,  at  Concord,  to  which  free  access 
has  been  granted. 

Frequent  reference  has  also  been  had  to  the  American,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  New  Hampshire  Historical  Societies ;  to  Farmer's 


•• 


4  PREFACE. 

and  Moore's  Historical  Collections,  Farmer's  Notes  to  Belknap's 
New  Hampshire;  to  the  various  Indian  publications  of  Mr.  Sam- 
uel E.  Drake,  the  N.  H.  Gazetteer,  and  to  all  the  Town  and  State 
Histories  from  which  any  thing  could  be  gleaned.  For  much  in- 
formation we  are  indebted  to  the  old  inhabitants  of  the  Town,  and 
to  the  descendants  of  the  early  settlers. 

Much  time  and  labor  have  been  devoted  to  the  work.  It  may  not 
be  of  general  interest,  but  it  is  hoped  that  its  object  will  be  appre- 
ciated by  those  for  whom  especially  it  was  designed.  The  Histo- 
ry of  the  settlement  and  growth  of  our  Towns  is  deservedly  attract- 
ing increased  attention.  As  our  old  men  pass  away,  and  records 
are  destroyed,  and  traditions  forgotten,  these  collections  thus  pre- 
served from  destruction,  bumble  and  useless  though  they  may  ap- 
pear to  some,  will  become  more  and  more  valuable.  Desirous  of 
doing  what  he  may  for  the  home  of  his  adoption,  and  fondly  believ- 
ing that  the  subject  will  be  intrinsically  interesting  to  every  inhab- 
itant of  "Old  Dunstabie,"  this  work  has  been  prepared  and  is 

submitted  by  the  Author. 

'•        ft      .'K  •*-..  -  '•••  •     }-"A    ••lij^ai  *t  .>••:  :;,('..••;«•<•'•;•..  fi»V'     •••! 
*******          *          *          ^          * 

Since  the  above  was  written,  (1841,)  five  years  have  elapsed,  and 
the  work  is  unpublished,  partly  owing  to  the  pressure  of  other  la- 
bors, and  partly  to  severe  and  long  protracted  sickness.  An  inter- 
val of  comparative  ease  and  the  request  of  friends  have  now  induced 
its  preparation  for  the  press,  and  it  is  offered  to  the  indulgence  of 
the  public.  It  has  been  revised,  enlarged  and  brought  down  to  the 
present  time.  An  effort  has  been  made  to  obtain  full  and  accurate 
statistics  ol  the  condition  of  the  Village,  but  under  the  circumstan- 
ces, errors,  omissions  and  imperfections  must  occur.  For  these 
charity  is  craved. 

That  this  and  some  other  portions  of  the  work  will  not  be  so  in- 
teresting to  the  general  reader  as  the  more  romantic  incidents  is 
very  evident,  but  there  are  few  local  Histories  that  contain  so  many 
of  the  latter  as  the  present.  Besides,  the  former  are  absolutely  ne- 
cessary to  the  complete  history  of  a  town,  especially  of  A  manufac- 
turing town.  To  the  kindness  of  friends  the  Author  is  so  greatly 
indebted  for  assistance  in  such  various  forms,  that  he  will  only 
say,  God  bless  them  all ! 


INTRODUCTION. 


IT  was  a  remark  of  Edmund  Burke,  no  super- 
ficial observer,  that  "  they  who  never  look  back 
to  their  ancestors,  will  never  look  forward  to  pos- 
terity." There  is  great  truth  and  beauty  in  the 
remark.  Those  who  "build  the  tombs  of  the 
prophets,"  do  not  always,  indeed,  heed  their  pre- 
cepts or  follow  their  example,  but  those  who  care 
nothing  for  the  past,  its  actors  or  its  story,  will 
care  little  for  the  welfare  of  the  future.  It  is  na- 
tural and  commendable  to  care  for  those  who 
have  gone  before  us.  "  They  have  labored,  and 
we  have  entered  into  their  labors."  The  men 
who  settled  this  region,  and  "  hewed  the  ancient 
woods  away,"  were  such  as  the  world  had  rarely 
seen.  They  were  ready  to  do  all.  and  dare  all, 
and  suffer  all  for  the  sake  of  conscience.  They 
"called  no  man  master,"  and  the  germ  of  free- 
dom which  they  planted  in  the  wilderness,  be- 
came the  noble  "Liberty  Tree''  of  the  Revolution. 


j     6  INTRODUCTION. 


Of  such  descent  we  may  well  be  proud.  We 
wish  to  know  who  they  were,  and  when,  and 
where,  and  how  they  lived.  Their  toils  and  pri- 
vations and  sufferings,  their  opinions  and  pecu- 
liarities to  us  should  be  important.  From  them 
is  derived  all  that  is  peculiar  to  the  New  Eng- 
land character ;  its  energy,  its  ingenuity,  its  per- 
severance, and  its  hatred  of  tyranny  in  all  its 
forms  and  manifestations.  An  insight  into  their 
every  day  life  would  be  most  valuable,  but  they 
have  passed  away,  and  the  story  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Dunstable,  with  its  startling  romance  arid 
stern  realities,  has  nearly  perished  with  them.  A 
few  materials  yet  exist,  scattered  and  imperfect, 
in  cotemporary  journals  and  musty  records,  in 
ancient  burial  grounds  or  in  uncertain  traditions, 
only  to  be  gathered  with  great  labor  and  anti- 
quarian zeal  and  patience.  These  perishing  me- 
morials have  been  sought  out  and  embodied  with 
filial  regard,  by  one  who  is  proud  of  a  descent 
from  the  first  settlers,  trusting  that  the  simple 
story  of  Indian  perils  and  Revolutionary  patriot- 
ism, of  toil  and  perseverance,  of  enterprise  and 
success  will  not  prove  entirely  destitute  of  inter- 
est or  of  instruction. 


* 


CHAPTER]. 


THE  FJUST  SETTLERS  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

THE  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth  in 
December,  1620,  is  an  epoch  in  the  world's  his- 
tory. ':0n  this  bleak  New  England  shore,"  in 
the  wilderness,  with  the  snows  of  winter  around 
them  and  a  few  wretched  dwellings  to  protect 
them,  and  wild  beasts  and  wilder  men,  they  es- 
tablished a  Colony  which  is  destined  to  solve  a 
problem  for  the  human  race.  Its  motto  and  its 
basis  was  "  FREEDOM  TO  WORSHIP  GOD."  Perse- 
cuted in  the  old  world  alike  by  Catholic  and  Epis- 
copalian for  opinion's  sake,  driven  from  their 
homes,  they  came  to  this  "  wilderness  world  " 
with  gladsome  hearts,  "  singing  the  songs  of  Zi- 
on,"  even  in  this  "  strange  land,"  for  that  "here 
they  could  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  consciences  in  peace." 

The  Plymouth  settlers  were  but  pioneers,  and 
soon  crowds  flocked  hither,  ready  to  dare  all  and 
to  endure  all  for  the  priceless  boon  of  a  free  con- 
science and  free  speech.  Boston,  Salem,  Ports- 
mouth and  Dover  were  settled,  and  every  where, 
with  each  little  band  of  brethren,  the  ;'man  of 
God"  went  forth  to  cheer  them  in  toil,  in  peril, 
and  in  death.  As  the  fame  of  this  new  asylum 
for  the  oppressed  began  to  spread  abroad  more 
widely,  greater  crowds  of  emigrants  came,  until 
the  older  settlements  became  too  populous.  Ad- 


8  HISTORY    OF 


venturous  spirits  went  forth  into  the  wilderness 
upon  every  side  to  found  new  plantations,  and  at 
a  very  early  period,  not  long  after  the  settlement 
of  Boston,  attention  was  turned  towards  the  val- 
leys of  the  Merrirnac  and  the  Nashua.  In  Au- 
gust, 1652,  (1)  the  valley  of  the  Merrimac  as  far 
northward  as  the  outlet  of  Lake  Winnipisiogee. 
was  surveyed  by  Capt.  Simon  Willard  and  Capt. 
Edward  Johnson,  and  its  rich  basins  and  valua- 
ble fishing  stations  were  laid  open  to  to  the  eager 
gaze  of  the  adventurers. 

The  valleys  of  the  Merrimac  and  Nashua  are 
of  alluvial  formation.  That  they  have  undergone 
great  changes  is  very  evident.  Their  general  ap- 
pearance, the  shape  of  their  basins,  their  outlets, 
their  different  levels,  and  the  stratified  character 
of  the  soil,  all  show  that  at  some  remote  period 
the  greater  portion  of  these  valleys  must  have 
been  covered  with  water  in  the  form  of  Lakes  or 
large  Ponds.  Geologists  find  the  same  character- 
istics upon  all  our  Rivers,  and  some  even  refer 
their  origin  to  the  Deluge.  But  whenever  and 
however  their  origin  may  have  been,  it  is  evident 
that  the  valley  of  the  Merrimac  was  once  a  suc- 
cession of  Lakes,  one  ending  at  Paw  tucket  Falls, 
and  another  at  Amoskeag  Falls,  through  whose 
rocky  basins  the  waters  at  length  burst  their  way, 
and  formed  their  present  lower  channel,  leaving 
their  former  beds  dry. 

(1)  This  survey  was  made  by  order  of  the  Generjl  Assembly  of 
Massachusetts  to  determine  the  Northerly  bound  of  the  Colony,  r.n.l 
an  inscription  was  made  upon  a  large  stone  in  Winnipisiopee  River, 
at  a  point  "  three  miles  North  of  the  head  of  A'lerriinac  Piter  "  to 
designate  the  spot.  The  Colony  of  Massach>:set:s  th<Mi  claimed  nil 
the  land  lying  "three  miles"  North  and  East  of  the  Merrimac  from 
its  mouth  lo  this  point,  and  thence  due  West  to  New  York.  This 
stone  was  discovered  a  few  years  since,  and  gave  rise  to  many  con- 
jectures as  to  its  origin.  For  an  account  of  it,  see  4  A*.  //.  Histori- 
cal Collections,  194. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C. 


The  same  is  equally  true  of  the  valley  of  the 
Nashua,  one  outlet  being  at  Mine  Falls,  and 
another  at  the  high  bluff  near  the  Nashua  Cor- 
poration, through  which  the  river  has  forced  j 
a  passage,  and  left  large  basins  exposed  for  j 
cultivation.  In  corroboration  of  this  theory  we 
know  that  logs  have  often  been  found  here,  buried 
in  the  earth  at  a  great  depth.  When  the  excava- 
tion for  the  foundation  of  the  Locks  near  the  Mer- 
rimac  was  being  made  in  1825,  at  a  spot  about 
one  hundred  feet  from  the  River,  and  at  a  depth 
of  many  feet  below  the  surface,  the  workmen 
found  several  logs,  a  quantity  of  charcoal,  as  if 
the  remains  of  a  fire,  and  a  toad,  which,  on  being 
exposed  to  the  sun  and  air,  revived  and  hopped 
away.  Such  discoveries  are  not  of  unfrequent 
occurrence,  but  as  to  the  time  and  mode  of  their 
deposit  we  are  left  only  to  theory  and  conjecture. 

The  valley  of  the  Merrimac  was  not  an  object 
of  desire  to  the  English  alone.  From  the  earliest 
periods  it  seems  to  have  been  looked  upon  by  the 
Indian  as  almost  a  Paradise.  The  Winnipisio- 
gee,  or  "  the  very  pleasant  place  where  there  is 
but  little  land/''  was  deeply  beloved.  (1.)  The 
Merrimac  with  its  numerous  Naamkeeks,  or  fish- 
ing stations,  and  its  rich  planting  fields  for  maize, 
was  still  more  dear.  So  far,  indeed,  had  its  fame 
extended,  that  in  1604,  years  before  the  Landing 
at  Plymouth,  a  French  Jesuit,  writing  from  Can- 
ada to  France,  could  say :  "  The  Indians  tell  us 
of  a  beautiful  River  lying  far  to  the  South,  which 
they  call  Merrimac"  "(2.) 

(1.)  The  Indians  are  also  said  to  have  called  it,  "  The  smile  of 
the  Great  Spirit."  The  name  is  Winni-peesi-okhe,  and  should  be 
pronounced  Win-ni-pis-saw'-key,  with  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable 
but  one. 

(2.)  Sieur  De  Monts.  Relations  of  the  Jesuits,  1604.  Merrimac 
means  Sturgeon.  There  is  also  a  Merrimac  which  flows  into  the 
Missouri  river. 


10  HISTORY    OF 


The  Indians  who  inhabited  the  more  souther- 
ly portions  of  the  valley  were  of  a  mild  disposi- 
tion, and  invited  intercourse  with  the  whites.  In 

1655  the  settlements  had  extended  as  far  North 
as  Chelmsford  and  Groton.     From  1655  to  1665 
was  a  period  of  unwonted  activity  and  prosperi- 
ty.    There  was  peace  with  the  Indians,  and  the 
tide  of  population  rolled  onwards  rapidly.     The 
Indians  had  planting  fields  all  along  the  valleys 
of  the  Merrimac,  the  Souhegan,  and  the  Nashua, 
and    these  were   objects  of  eager  desire   to   the 
settler.     About  1655,  grants  of  land  in  this  vicin- 
ity were  made  to  those  who  belonged  to  the  ex- 
ploring company  of  Johnson   and  Willard.     In 

1656  the  lands  upon  both  sides  of  the  Merrimac, 
extending   on    the     west    side    from    Naticook 
brook  (1)   to  a  line  about  a  mile  south  of  Peni- 
chuck  brook,  and  including  the  greater  part  of 
Litchfield,  were  granted  to  William  Brenton,  and 
called  "  Brenton's  Farm." (2.)    Nearly  all  the  in- 
terval lands  about  Naticook  were  granted  not 
long  after. 

In  1659  and  1660  large  tracts  of  land  were 
granted  upon  the  Souhegan  river,  (3.)  at  a  piace 
called  by  the  Indians  Quohquinna-pashessan- 
anagnog,  being  the  meadows  in  Amherst  which 
lie  at  the  mouth  of  the  small  brook,  which,  aris- 
ing in  Mont  Vernon,  and  flowing  around  the  plain 
in  Amherst.  runs  into  the  Souhegan  in  the  South 
part  of  the  town.  Five  hundred  acres  were  grant- 
ed to  Capt.  William  Davis  of  Boston  and  Capt. 

(I.)  Naticook  is  the  little  brook  jusl  above  Thornton's  Ferry,  in 
Merrimac. 

(2.)  The  Indian  name  of  Litchfield  and  Merrimac  was  \aticook. 
Sometimes  the  land  East  of  the  river  was  called  A'acooA. — Belknap, 
224.  N.  H.  Gazetteer.  Litchfield. 

(3.)  This  was  anciently  written  Soulegcnack,  and  means,  it  is 
said,  crooked.— 5  N.  H.  Hitt.  Coll.,  87. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  11 

Isaac  Johnson  of  Roxbury ;  (1.)  500  acres  to 
Mrs.  Anna  Lane ;  and  300  acres  to  John  Wilson 
of  Boston.  1000  acres  were  also  granted  to  the 
town  of  Charlestown  for  a  "  School  Farm,"  lying 
upon  the  Sonhegan,  in  Milford,  about  four  or  five 
miles  westerly  of\  the  first  grants,  "at  a  great 
hill  called  Drarncysip  hill,"  and  500  acres  to  Mrs. 
Anna  Cole  "  adjoining  thereto."  (2.) 

About  the  same  time  a  grant  of  400  acres,  ly- 
ing at  the  mouth  of  Salmon  Brook,  was  made  to 
John  Whiting.  It  was  bounded  on  the  north 
"by  the  upland,"  and  extended  up  the  brook 
about  a  mile  and  a  half,  embracing  the  souther- 
ly part  of  Nashua  Village.  Several  hundred 
acres,  also,  were  granted  atPenichuck  Pond,  and 
so  down  Penichuck  Brook,  in  Merrimac  and 
Nashville. 

About  1662,  500  acres  upon  the  easterly  side 
of  the  Merrimac,  in  Litchfield,  "atNacook," 
were  granted  to  the  town  of  Billerica  for  a  ''School 
Farm,"  and  300  acres  adjoining,  to  "Phinehas 
Pratt  and  others  for  straights  and  hardships  en- 
dured by  them  in  planting  at  Plymouth  of  which 
he  was  one.''  (3.) 

Four  hundred  acres  were  granted  to  Gov.  En- 
dicott,  "lying  in  the  westerly  part  of  Pelham." 
about  six  miles  north  of  Pawtucket  Falls,  and 
one  mile  west  of  Beaver  Brook,  at  a  great  hill 
called  MasJta-shatlucJ;.  (4.)  "  lying  betxveen  two 
other  great  hills,  and  adjoining  southerly  on  a 
great  Pond  called  Pimino-mitti-quonnit" 

(I.)  Capt.  Johnson  was  killed  at  the  great  Narragauset  S\vamp 
Fight,  Dec.  1-9,  1675. 

(•2.)  These  grants  were  all  made  by  Massachusetts.  For  on  ac- 
count of  them  see  Assembly  Records,  1059,  1GCO,  in  the  office  of  the 
Secrelary  of  the  Commonwealth,  at  Boston,  pajrefi  327,  357.  358, 
359,304,40-1. 

(3.)  Drake's  Book  of  the  Indians, pa^c  33.  Mais.  Assembly 
Records,  1G62,  1G6.J. 

(4.)  Massa-attack  means  Deer-hill.  Pirrnno-miiU-quonnit  sig- 
nifies a  Long  Pond. 


=  -——......          "       ==» 

12  HISTORY    OF 

About  this  period,  but  at  what  date  is  uncer- 
tain, a  grant  of  a  large  tract  in  Hudson  and  Pel- 
ham  was  made  to  Henry  Kimball,  and  called 
"  Henry  Kimball' s  Farm."  Samuel  Scarlet  had 
a  farm  also,  on  the  north  side  of  Merrimac  Riv- 
er, perhaps  in  Tyngsborough ;  Lieut.  Joseph 
Wheeler,  and  his  father  Capt.  Thomas  Wheeler, 
had  a  farm  upon  the  Merrimac,  in  Nashua,  a  lit- 
tle south  of  Salmon  Brook,  and  several  others 
whose  names  are  not  preserved. 

In  September,  1673,  a  grant  of  1000  acres,  ly- 
ing in  Nashville,  was  made  to  the  "  Ancient  and 
Honorable  Artillery  Company"  of  Boston.  It 
was  bounded  East  by  the  Merrimac,  south  by 
the  Nashua,  West  by  Spectacle  Brook.  (1.)  and 
extended  about  one  mile  northerly  of  Nashua 
River.  This  embraced  the  whole  of  the  village 
of  Nashville,  arid  was  called  the  u  Artillery 
Farm"  Prom  this  circumstance  the  little  Pond 
in  the  north  part  of  the  village  was  called  "  Ar- 
tillery Pond." 

At  this  period,  14,000  acres,  lying  along  the 
Merrimac,  upon  both  sides,  between  Souhegan 
River  and  Chelmsford,  had  been  granted  to 
various  individuals,  but  as  yet  few  settlements 
had  been  made.  It  became  necessary,  therefore, 
for  their  mutual  benefit,  to  consolidate  all  the 
grants  into  one  plantation,  and  to  secure  to  the 
inhabitants  all  the  privileges  and  immunities  of 
an  incorporated  Township.  Accordingly,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1673,  the  proprietors  of  the  farms  alrea- 
dy laid  out,  and  others  who  were  disposed  to  set- 
tle here,  presented  a  Petition  to  the  General  As- 
sembly, of  which  the  following  is  a  copy.  (2.) 

(1.)  The  little  brook  about  a  mile  Westerly  of  the  village,  which 
runs  through  the  farm  now  owned  by  Hiram  Woods. — Mass.  As- 
sembly Records,  1673  :  page  729. 

(2.)  Mass.  Assembly  Records,  1673.  The  original  Petition  is  on 
file,  and  the  ancient  spelling  has  been  preserved. 


B  = 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  13 

"  To  the  Honored  Governor,  Deputy  Governor,  with  the 
Magistrates  and  Deputies  now  assembled  in  the  Gener- 
al Court  at  Boston,  Sept.  19, 1673. 

"The  Petition  of  the  Proprietors  of  the  farms  that  are  laid 
out  upon  Merrimac  River,  and  places  adjacent,  with  oth- 
ers who  desire  to joyn  with  them  in  the  settlement  of  a 
plantation  there — 

"  HUMBLY  SHEWET-H 

"  That  whereas  there  is  a  considerable  tract  of  the  Coun- 
try's land  that  is  invironed  with  the  proprieties  of  partic- 
ular persons  and  towns,  viz  :  by  the  line  of  the  town  of 
Chelrnsford,  and  by  Groton  line,  and  by  Mr.  Brenton's 
farm,  by  Souhegan  farms,  and  beyond  Merrimac  River  by 
the  outermost  line  of  Henry  Kirnball's  farm,  and  so  to 
Chelmsford  line  again  —  All  which  is  in  little  capacity 
of  doing  the  country  any  service  except  the  farms  border- 
ing upon  it  be  adjoined  to  said  land,  to  make  a  plantation 
there;  and  there  being  a  considerable  number  of  persons 
who  are  of  a  sober  and  orderly  conversation,  who  do  stand 
in  great  need  of  accommodations,  who  are  willing  and  rea- 
dy to  make  present  improvement  of  the  said  vacant  lands: 
And  the  Proprietors  of  the  said  farms  are  therefore  wil- 
ling to  join  with  and  give  encouragement  to  those  that 
shall  improve  the  said  lands: — the  farms  of  those  that  are 
within  the  tract  of  land  before  described,  being  about  14,- 

000  acres  at  the  least : 

"  Your  Petitioners  therefore  humbly  request  the  favour 
of  the  Honorable  Court  that  they  will  please  to  grant  the 
said  tract  of  land  to  your  Petitioners,  and  to  such  as  will 
join  with  them  in  the  settlement  of  the  lands  before  men- 
tioned, so  that  those  who  have  improved  their  farms  there, 
and  others  who  speedily  intend  to  do  the  same,  may  be  in 
a  way  for  the  support  of  the  public  ordinances  of  God,  for 
without  which  the  greatest  part  of  the  year  they  will  be 
deprived  of,  the  farms  lying  so  far  remote  from  any  towns : 
and  farther  that  the  Honorable  Court  will  please  grant  the 
like  immunities  to  this  plantation,  as  they  in  their  favours 
have  formerly  granted  to  other  new  Plantations: — So  shall 
your  Petitioners  be  ever  engaged  to  pray: 

"1.  Thomas  Brattle.  8.  Samuel  Scarlet. 

2.  Jonathan  Tyng.  9.  William  Lakin. 

3.  Joseph  Wheeler.  10.  Abraham  Parker. 

4.  James  Parkerson.  11.  James  Knapp. 

5.  Robert  Gibbs.  12.  Robert  Proctor. 

6.  John  Turner.  13.  Simon  Willard,  Jr. 

7.  Sampson  Sheafe.  14.  Thomas  Edwards. 


14  HISTORY    OF 


15.  Thomas  Wheeler,  Sen.  21.  John  Parker. 

16.  Peter  Bulkely.  22.  Josiah  Parker. 

17.  Joseph  Parker.  23.  Nathaniel  Blood. 

18.  John  Morse,  Sen.  24.  Robert  Parris. 

19.  Samuel  Combs.  25.  John  Jollifte. 

20.  James  Parker,  Jr.  26.  Zachariuh  Long." 

The  Petition  was  granted  upon  conditions 
which  were  then  universally  inserted  in  the 
Charters;  that  the  Grantees  should  "settle"  the 
Plantation,  procure  a  minister  within  three  years, 
and  reserve  a  farm  for  the  use  of  the  Colony.  By 
settling  the  Plantation  was  understood  procuring 
a  competent  number  of  actual  settlers,  (twenty  or 
more,)  who  should  build  houses  capable  of  de- 
fence, at  least  eighteen  feet  square,  and  who  should 
live  upon  and  improve  their  lands;  arid  also,  the 
erection  of  a  Meeting  House.  The  following  is 
a  copy  of  the  original  Charter,  dated  October  15, 
1673,  (corresponding  with  October  26th,  New 
Style,)  which  includes  all  the  above  grants.  (1.) 

"At  a  General  Court  held  at  Boston  ye  loth  (26th)  Octo- 
ber, 1673. 

In  answer  to  the  Petition  of  Thomas  Brattle,  Jonathan 
Tyng,  James  Parker  and  William  Lakin,  in  behalf  ot  them- 
selves and  others  joyning  in  their  humble  Petition  to  de- 
sire the  favor  of  this  Court  to  grant  them  liberty  to  settle 
a  plantation  with  their  ffarmes,  and  a  considerable  tract  of 
land  belonging  to  ye  country  being  invironed  with  the  pro- 
prieties of  particular  persons  and  towns;  as  by  ye  line  of 
Chelmsford,  and  by  Groton  line,  and  by  Mr.  Bremen's 
ffarm,  by  Souhegan  ffarmes,  and  beyond  Merrimac  River 
by  ye  utmost  line  of  Henry  Kimbol's  farme,  and  so  to 
Chelmsford  line  again,  as  also  such  other  immunities  to 
the  plantation  as  this  Court  hath  formerly  granted  to  other 
new  plantations: — 

The  Court  judgeth  it  meet  to  grant  their  request  provided 
a  farme  of  five  hundred  acres  of  upland  and  medo  be  laid 

(t.)  Mass.  Assembly  Records,  1673,  Page  730.  Records  of 
Towns,  1673.  In  order  to  make  the  dates  which  are  previous  to  A. 
D.  1751,  compared  with  our  present  reckoning,  eleven  days  should 
in  all  cases  be  added. 

«" .. 

— — — — . — 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  15 

out  of  this  tract  for  the  country's  use,  and  that  they  shall  in 
settling  the  plantation  endeavor  so  as  to  finish  it  once  (1.) 
within  three  years,  and  procure  an  able  and  othordox  min- 
ister amongst  them. 

That  this  is  a  true  copy  taken  and  compared  with  the 
original  records,  Attest 

EDWARD  RAWSON,  Secretary." 

In  May,  1674,  the  new  Plantation  was  survey- 
ed by  Jonathan  Danforth,  and  its  boundaries  are 
thus  described :  (2.) 

"It  lieth  upon  both  sides  Merrimnc  River  on  the  Nasha- 
way  River.  It  is  bounded  on  the  South  by  Chelmsford,  by 
Groton  line,  and  partly  by  country  land.  The  Westerly 
line  runs  due  North  until  you  come  to  Souhegan  River  to 
a  hill  called  dram  cup  hill  to  a  great  pine  near  to  ye  said 
River  at  the  N.  VV.  corner  of  Charlestown  School  farm; 
bounded  by  Souhegan  River  on  the  North ;  and  on  the 
East  side  Merrimac  it  begins  at  a  great  stone  which  was 
supposed  to  be  near  the  North  East  corner  of  Mr.  Brenton's 
land  ;  and  from  thence  it  runs  Sou.  south  east  six  miles  to 
a  pine  tree  marked  :F:  standing  within  sight  of  Beaver 
Brook  ;  thence  it  runs  two  degrees  West  of  South  four 
miles  and  a  quarter  which  reached  to  the  south  side  of 
Henry  Kimble's  farm  at  Jeremie's  Hill;  thence  from  ye 
South  east  angel  1  of  said  farm  it  runs  two  degrees  and  a 
quarter  westward  of  the  south  near  to  the  head  of  the  Long 
Pond  which  lieth  at  ye  head  of  Edward  Colburn's  farm. — 
And  thus  it  is  bounded  by  ye  said  Pond  and  the  head  of 
said  Colburn's  farm ;  taking  in  Captain  Scarlett's  farm  so 
as  to  close  again  ;  all  which  is  sufficiently  bounded  and 
described. 

Dunstable,  3d.  mo.  (May)  1674."  (3.) 

(1.)  The  meaning  of  this  is  obscure  :  perhaps  it  is  that  the  num- 
ber of  settlers  necessary  to  make  or  "finish  "  a  settlement  shall  be 
procured  within  three  years. 

(2.)     Town  and  Proprietary  Records,  Page  I. 

(3.)  Before  A.  D.  1751,  the  year  began  March  25th.,  and  the 
months  were  often  numbered  thus:  March,  or  first  month;  April, 
second  month  ;  May,  third  month,  &c.  In  1751  they  began  to  reck- 
on the  year  from  the  first  day  of  January.  At  that  time,  in  conse- 
quence of  having  reckoned  only  365  days  to  a  year,  eleven  days  had 
been  gained,  which  were,  then  struck  out  of  the  calendar.  Dates 
prior  to  1751  are  called  Old  Style  ;  subsequent,  New  Style. 

•»  ' 


I 


~  '  -I 

16  HISTORY    OF 

The  Township  of  Dunstable  embraced  a  very 
large  tract,  probably  more  than  two  hundred  square 
miles,  including  the  Towns  of  Nashua,  Nashville, 
Hudson,  Hollis,  Dunstable  and  Tyngsborough, 
besides  portions  of  the  towns  of  Amherst,  Mil- 
ford,  Merrimac,  Litchfield,  Londonderry,  Pel- 
ham,  Brookline,  Pepperell,  and  Townseud,  and 
formed  a  part  of  the  County  of  Middlesex.  At 
this  late  day  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  define  its 
boundaries  accurately,  but  by  a  perambulation  of 
lines  made  in  1734.  an  approximation  may  be 
made.  The  north  eastern  corner  was  a  very 
large  and  high  rock  now  standing  about  three 
miles  north  easterly  of  the  mouth  of  Souhegan 
River  in  Londonderry.  The  south  east  corner 
was  "  at  the  corner  of  Melhuen  and  Dracnt,"  "  in 
sight  of  Beaver  Brook."  The  north  west  cor- 
ner was  at  "dram  cup  hill"  on  the  Souhegan,  in 
the  westerly  part  of  Milford,  and  the  westerly 
line  which  ran  '•'  due  South"  passed  "near  the 
west  end  of  Muscatanapns  Pond,"  in  I3rook- 
line.(L)  It  extended  ten  or  twelve  miles  west  of 
Merrimac  River,  and  from  three  to  five  miles 
east  of  it.  and  its  average  length  north  and 
south  was  from  twelve  to  fourteen  miles.  The 
present  Township  of  Nashua  and  Nashville  oc- 
cupies very  nearly  the  centre  of  the  original 
Township. 

In  1674,  because  there  was  "very  little  mcdo 
left  except  what  is  already  granted  to  the  ffarmes," 
the  easterly  line  of  the  township  was  extended 
to  Beaver  Brook,  by  an  additional  grant  from  the 
General  Court,  and  the  Town  was  called  DUN- 
STABLE.  It  received  its  name  in  compliment  to 
Mrs.  Mary  Tyng.  wife  of  Hon.  Edward  Tyng, 

(1.)  This  Pond  is  situated  near  the  Meeting  House,  and  is  still 
called  "  Tanapus  Pond."  Musca-tanapns  signifies  Bear  Pond. — 
Mass.  Records.  Towns.  1734.  Page  63. 


»Trr=.Tr=rrr^^ "-* ..—  ...  .  - ^ ** 

, 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C.  17 

one  of  the  Magistrates  of  the  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts,  who  came  from  Dunstable.  Eng- 
land. 

Among  the  original  Proprietors  we  find  the 
names  of  many  of  the  leading  men  in  the  Colony, 
some  of  whom,  with  the  children  and  friends  of 
others,  removed  here  and  took  up  their  abode  at 
an  early  period.  Of  this  number  we  find  Gov. 
Dudley,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Ed- 
ward Tyng  of  this  town,  Rev.  Thomas  Weld, 
who  was  the  first  minister,  and  married  another 
daughter,  Thomas  Brattle,  Peter  Bulkely,  Heze- 
kiah  Usher,  Elisha  Hutchinson,  Francis  Cook, 
and  others  who  were  Assistants  and  Magistrates. 
Many  of  the  first  settlers  belonged  to  Boston  and 
its  vicinity,  a  circumstance  which  gave  strength 
and  influence  to  the  infant  plantation. 

At  what  time  and  by  whom  Dunstable  was 
first  settled  is  uncertain,  but  it  must  have  been 
considerably  earlier  than  the  date  of  the  charter 
in  1673.  In  the  Charter  farms  are  mentioned  as 
then  existing,  and  some  of  "  the  farmers  "  were 
among  the  Petitioners.  Of  this  number  were 
Scarlett,  Wheeler,  and  others.  In  1675,  orchards 
are  mentioned  as  then  in  existence,  which  must 
have  been  the  growth  of  years.  In  1674,  "  Ihe 
house  of  Lt.  Wheeler''  is  designated  as  a  place 
of  holding  a  meeting  of  the  Proprietors,  and  we 
have  some  reason  to  suppose  that  he  may  have 
been  the  earliest  settler.  (1.)  Wheeler  and  Bren- 
ton  were  fur  traders  among  the  Indians.  In  1657, 
the  trade  with  the  Indians  was  regulated  by  the 
General  Court,  and  the  exclusive  right  of  this 
trade  upon  Merrimac  river  was  sold  to  "  Maj. 

(!.)  Lt.  Whet'ler  left  town  in  Philip's  War,  IC73,  and  did  not  re- 
turn. His  father,  Capt.  Thomas  Wheeler,  of  Groton.  the  noted  In- 
dian furhtcr.  for  a  tune  re&iJcd  with  him.— 2  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  5. 


18  HISTORY    OF 


(Simon,)  Willard,  Mr.  (William,)  Brenton,  En- 
sign (Thomas,)  Wheeler,  and  Thomas  Herich- 
mari,"  for  £25.  The  sale  bears  date  July  1, 
1657.  (1.) 

For  the  purpose  of  trafficking  with  the  Indians 
more  conveniently,  it  was  customary  to  establish 
trading  'houses  beyond  the  settlements,  and  at 
places  to  which  they  could  easily  resort.  It  is 
not  impossible  that  Wheeler  may  have  resided 
here  for  such  a  purpose,  at  an  early  date  after  his 
grant,  as  Henchman  resided  a  little  farther  south 
in  Chelmsford.  About  1665,  John  Cromwell,  an 
Indian  trader  also,  resided  at  Tyngsborough,  but 
soon  after  removed  to  Merrimac,  where  he  built 
a  trading  house,  about  two  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  Penichuck  brook,  at  the  falls  which  now  bear 
his  name.  (2.)  According  to  the  custom  of  the 
time,  it  is  said  that  he  used  his  foot  as  a  pound 
weight  in  the  purchase  of  furs,  until  the  Indians, 
beginning  to  suspect  him  of  cheating  them,  drove 
him  away  and  burned  his  house,  the  cellar  of 
which  still  is  or  was  recently  visible.  It  is  stat- 
ed by  Farmer,  (3.)  whose  authority  is  unques- 
tionable, that  <:  the  ancient  settlement"  was  with- 
in the  limits  of  Nashua,  and  as  grants  of  land 
here  were  made  in  1659,  and  farms  existed  here  be- 
fore 1673,  and  as  Chelmsford  was  settled  in  1655, 
we  may  reasonably  conclude  that  some,  who 
stood  "in  great  need  of  accommodations,"  found 
their  way  to  the  rich  intervals  upon  our  rivers,  at  a 
period  not  much  later  than  the  date  of  the  grants. 

(1.)  Mass.  Assembly  Records,  1657,  page  293.  The  trade  of 
"  Nashuway  river  "  was  sold  at  the  same  lime  for  £3. 

(2.)  The  Indian  name  of  Cromwell's  Falls  was  Nesenkea*,  and, 
as  was  generally  the  case,  as  at  Naticook,  Amoskeag,  &c.,  the  laud 
for  some  distance  around  received  the  same  name. 

(3.)  Belknap,  117,  note  by  Farmer,  and  his  manuscript  records. 
In  his  "  Catechism  of  the  History  of  New  Hampshire,"  he  says  : — 
"  This  town  had  been  settled  several  years  hefore  the  date  of  the 
Charter.  Pare  23. 


NASHUA,   NASHVILLE,  &C.  19 

It  has  often  been  remarked  that,  in  the  set- 
tlement of  New  England,  we  may  discover  the 
hand  of  an  overruling  Providence.  .  The  Plague, 
which  swept  off  the  Indian  tribes  in  and  around 
Plymouth  and  Piscataqua,  in  1612  and  1613, 
prepared  the  way  for  the  coming  of  the  forefath- 
ers, and  similar  providential  events  occurred  as 
population  moved  westward.  The  valleys  of 
the  Merrimac  and  the  Nashua  were  inhabited  by 
numerous  small  tribes,  or  branches  of  tribes  of 
Indians,  who  lived  in  villages  containing  one  hun- 
dred or  two  hundred  souls,  and  subsisted  chiefly 
by  fishing  and  hunting.  The  Nashaways  had 
their  head  quarters  at  Lancaster  ;  the  Nashobas 
at  Littleton ;  the  Pawtuckets  at  Pawtucket  Falls; 
the  Wamesits  at  Wamesit  Falls,  at  the  mouth  of 
Concord  river;  the  Naticooks  in  this  vicinity; 
and  the  Penacooks  around  Penacook,  now  Con- 
cord, N.  H.  They  were  all,  however,  subject  to 
Passaconoway.  The  Mohawks,  or  Maquas,  a 
fierce  and  savage  tribe  from  New  York,  were  the 
hereditary  enemies  of  them  all.  The  Indian 
tribes  which  dwelt  nearest  to  the  English  settle- 
ments, and  especially  the  Pawtuckets  and  Wam- 
esits, from  their  weakness,  and  their  fears  both 
of  the  Mohawks  and  the  English,  craved  the 
friendship  and  protection  of  the  latter.  They 
served  as  guides  and  sentinels  for  the  exposed 
frontiers,  and  were  often  of  great  service.  The 
Penacooks,  however,  were  a  more  bold,  warlike, 
and  dangerous  race,  who  refused  all  attempts  to 
christianize  them,  although  their  dread  of  the 
English  was  generally  sufficient  to  keep  them 
from  open  hostility. 

In  the  spring  of  1669,  a  portion  of  the  Pena- 
cooks, fearing  an  attack  from  the  Mohawks,  mov- 
ed down  the  Merrimac  to  the  Pawtucket,  and 
built  a  fort  there  for  their  protection.  Their 


20  HISTORY    OF 


neighborhood  was  a  cause  of  alarm  to  the  set- 
tlers, some  of  whom  shut  themselves  up  in  garri- 
sons; but  in  the  succeeding  autumn  they  joined 
in  an  expedition  against  the  Mohawks,  by  whom 
they  were  overpowered,  and  almost  entirely  de- 
stroyed. (1.)  The  greater  part  of  the  Indians  in 
this  vicinity,  especially  the  more  turbulent  and 
dangerous  to  the  number  of  six  or  seven  hundred, 
united  in  this  expedition,  and  nearly  the  whole 
of  them  perished,  with  more  than  fifty  chiefs. 
The  remnant,  dispirited  and  powerless,  united 
with  the  Wamesits,  and  became  "praying  In- 
dians" 

At  this  time,  Passaconaway  (2.)  was  sachem 
of  the  Penacooks  and  held  rule  over  all  the  Indi- 
ans from  the  Piscataqua  to  the  Connecticut,  and 
all  down  the  M errimac.  He  resided  at  Penacook, 
and  the  Naticooks,  Pawtuckets  and  Wamesits 
were  subject  to  his  power.  He  had  been  a  great 
warrior,  and  was  the  greatest  and  ''  most  noted 
powow  and  sorcerer  of  all  the  country."  (3.)  He 
died  before  1670,  at  the  great  age  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty.  "  In  1660,  not  long  before  his  death, 
at  a  great  feast  and  dance,  he  made  his  farewell 
speech  to  his  people.  In  this  he  urged  them,  as 
a  dying  man,  to  take  heed  how  they  quarrelled 
with  their  English  neighbors,  for  though  they 
might  do  them  some  harm,  yet  it  would  prove  the 
means  of  their  own  destruction.  He  told  them 
that  he  had  been  a  bitter  enemy  to  the  English, 
and  had  tried  all  the  arts  of  sorcery  to  prevent 
their  settlement,  but  could  by  no  means  suc- 
ceed." (4.) 

(I.  Book  of  the  Indians,  45.  Allen's  Histow  of  Chelmsford,  140 
to  161. 

(2.)  Gookin's  History  of  the  Christian  Indians.  2  Am.  Antiq. 
Collections. 

(3.)  Hubbard's  Indian  Wars. 

(4.)  Gookin,     Hubbard.     4  N.  H.  ffitt.  Coll.  23. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  21 


This  declaration  made  a  great  impression,  for 
we  find  that  Wannalancet,  his  second  son  and 
successor,  after  the  eldest  son  with  the  more  rest- 
less part  of  the  tribe  had  removed  into  Maine, 
was  always  after  a  friend  to  the  whites.  He  re- 
sided generally  at  Warnesit  falls,  and  was  propri- 
etor, with  his  tribe,  of  all  the  lands  in  this  vicin- 
ity. About  1663,  the  eldest  son  of  Passacona- 
way  was  thrown  into  jail  for  a  debt  of  £45,  due 
to  John  Tinker  by  one  of  his  tribe,  and  which  he 
had  promised  verbally  should  be  paid.  To  re- 
lieve him  from  his  imprisonment,  his  brother 
Wannalancet  and  others  who  owned  Wicasuck 
Island,  (1.)  sold  it  and  paid  the  debt. 

Soon  after,  the  General  Court  granted  him  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  "  on  a  great  hill  about 
twelve  miles  west  of  Chelmsford,"  and  probably 
in  Pepperell,  because  he  had  "a  great  many  chil- 
dren and  no  planting  grounds."  In  1665,  he  pe- 
titioned the  General  Court  that  this  island  might 
be  restored  to  him  and  his  brethren,  the  original 
owners,  and  the  original  petition,  signed  by  him 
with  the  others,  in  a  fair,  bold  hand,  is  now  on 
file  at  the  Secretary's  office.  His  request  was 
granted,  and  the  Island  purchased  and  restored 
by  the  colony.  (2.) 

About  1675,  during  the  war  with  King  Philip, 
he  left  Wamesit,  and  resided  in  Canada  and  va- 
rious other  places,  lest  he  should  be  drawn  into 
the  contest.  During  these  wanderings  he  warn- 
ed the  whites  of  many  intended  attacks  and  avert- 
ed others.  When  Wannalancet  returned  to  Paw- 
tucket,  after  the  death  of  Philip,  he  called  upon 
Rev.  Mr.  Fiske,  of  Chelmsford,  and  inquired 
what  disasters  had  befallen  the  town  during  the 

(1.)  Wicasuck  is  the  small  island  in  Merrimac  river,  near  Wicas- 
see  falls,  in  Tyngsborough. 
(2.)  Assembly  Records,  Mass., IdGa, page  106. 


gtr         '          •          -  — & 

22  HISTORY  OF 

war.  Mr.  Fiske  replied  that  they  had  been  high- 
ly favored,  for  which  he  desired  "  to  thank  God." 
"Me  next"  said  the  shrewd  Sagamore,  who 
claimed  his  share  of  the  merit.  Thus  providen- 
tially was  all  this  region  freed  from  hostile  Indi- 
ans, and  the  way  opened  for  the  coining  of  our 
fathers  in  comparative  safety. 

The  valleys  of  the  Naticook,  of  Salmon  brook 
and  the  Nashua,  (or  Watananock  as  it  is  called 
in  the  Court  Records,)  especially  near  their 
mouths,  were  favorite  resorts  and  abodes  of  the 
Indians.  There,  memorials  of  their  residence 
have  often  been  discovered.  Such  spots,  com- 
bining a  rich  and  easily  wrought  alluvial  soil 
with  productive  fisheries,  were  always  chosen ; 
and  the  choice  was  a  wise  and  beautiful  one. 
The  Indian  was  the  child  of  Nature,  and  gazed 
upon  her  charms  Mrith  filial  admiration.  With  a 
true  sense  of  the  sublime,  to  him  "  the  mountains 
were  God's  altars,"  and  he  looked  up  to  their 
cloud-capped  summits  with  deep  awe,  as  the 
dwelling  place  of  "the  Great  Spirit." 

With  a  sense  of  the  beautiful  equally  true, 
their  homes  were  grouped  together  in  some  shel- 
tered valley,  girt  round  with  hills,  and  woods, 
and  water  falls;  or  by  the  border  of  some  quiet 
lake,  or  upon  the  rich  alluvium  of  the  river;  but 
whether  for  convenience  or  beaut3r,  they  were  ev- 
er by  the  water-side.  And  truly,  wneh  these 
spots  were  covered  with  the  grand  old  woods, 
their  primal  vesture,  when  the  white  man's  steps 
had  not  yet  profaned  the  solitude,  few  scenes 
could  have  been  found  more  lovely  than  the  vol- 
leys of  the  Merrimac,  of  Salmon  brook,  and  the 
Nashua. 

Tiie  Chiefs  who  dwelt  in  those  valleys  did  not 
generally  live  in  a  style  of  much  greater  magnifi-  . 

. ,  ^_j j  ._.  .  u 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  23 

cence  than  their  subjects,  though  they  enjoyed 
greater  abundance.  Their  confederacy  was  a 
great  democracy,  where  danger,  conflict  and  toil 
and  privation  were  shared  alike  by  all,  the  lead- 
er being  distinguished  only  by  greater  exertions 
and  braver  daring.  But  on  great  occasions  they 
exhibited  a  rude  splendor  and  profusion  befitting 
the  dignity  of  the  tribe  and  its  rulers,  Sachems, 
and  to  which  all  contributed.  Whittier,  in  his 
"  Bridal  ot  Penacook,"  has  given  us  a  graphic 
picture  of  a  wedding  and  dance  given  by  Passa- 
conaway  on  the  marriage  of  his  daughter,  Weta- 
moo,  to  Winnepurkit,  Sachem  ofSaugus,  Maine. 
He  has  most  beautifully  and  happily  introduced 
the  sweet  and  flowing  Indian  names,  (how  bar- 
barous the  taste  which  substituted  most  of  our 
modern  ones  !)  which  abound  along  the  Merrimac 
and  its  tributaries,  and  the  whole  scene  is  de- 
lightful as  a  specimen  of  Indian  domestic  life. 
For  this  reason,  and  as  a  portion  of  the  luxuries 
were  furnished  by  our  own  streams  and  hillsides, 
it  is  thought  that  its  insertion  here  will  not  be 
inappropriate: — 

THE  BASHABA'3(1.)  FEAST. 

"  Witli  pipes  of  peace  and  bows  unstrung, 
Glowing  with  paint,  came  old  and  young, 
In  wampum,  and  furs  and  feathers  arrayed, 
To  the  cancc  and  feast  Bashubu  made. 

Bird  of  the  air  and  beast  of  the  field, 
All  which  the  woods  and  waters  yield, 
On  dishes  of  birch  and  hemlock  piled, 
Garnished  and  graced  that  banquet  wild. 

Steaks  of  the  brown  bear  fat  and  large, 
From  the  rocky  slopes  of  the  Kearsarge; 
Delicate  trout  from  Babboosuck  brook, 
And  salmon  spear'd  in  the  Contoocook  ; 

(1.)  The  name  given  to  two  or  three  principal  chiefs. 

— —  .         .  ._.••-- 


24  HISTORY  OF 


Squirrels  which  fed  where  nuts  fell  thick, 
In  the  gravelly  bed  of  the  Otternic, 
.  .  And  small  wild  hens  in  reed-snares  caught, 
From  the  banks  of  Sondagardee  brought. 

Pike  and  perch  from  the  Suncook  taken, 
Nuts  from  the  trees  of  the  Black  Hills  shaken, 
Cranberries  picked  in  tho  Squamscot  bog, 
And  grapes  from  the  vines  of  Piscataquog. 

And  drawn  from  that  great  stone  vase  which  stands 
In  the  river  scooped  by  a  spirit's  hands,  (1.) 
In  white  parched  pile,  or  thick  suppawn, 
Stood  the  birchen  dishes  of  smoking  corn. 

Thus  bird  of  the  air  and  beast  of  the  field, 
All  which  the  woods  and  water  yield, 
Furnished  in  that  olden  day, 
The  bridal  feast  of  the  Bashaba. 

And  merrily  when  that  feast  was  done, 
On  the  fire-lit  green,  the  dance  begun; 
With  the  squaws'  shrill  stave,  and  deeper  bum 
Of  old  men  beating  the  Indian  drum. 

Painted  and  plumed,  with  scalp  locks  flowing, 
And  red  arms  tossing,  and  black  eyes  glowing; 
Now  in  the  light  and  now  in  the  shade, 
•  Around  the  fires  the  dancers  played. 

The  step  was  quicker,  the  song  more  shrill, 
And  the  beat  of  the  small  drums  louder  still, 
Whenever  within  the  circle  drew, 
The  Saugus  Sachem  and  Weetamoo." 

Among  the  first  settlers  of  Dunstable  we  find 
the  names  of  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  Weld,  Joseph 
Wheeler,  John  Blanchard.  Jonathan  Tyng,  Cor- 
nelius Waldo,  Samuel  Warner,  Obadiah  Perry, 
Samuel  French,  Robert  Parris,  Thomas  Cum- 
mings,  Isaac  Cummings,  Joseph  Hassell,  Chris- 
topher Temple,  John  Goold,  Samuel  Goold,  John 
Lollendine,  Christopher  Reed,  Thomas  Lund, 

(I.)  There  are  rocks  in  the  river  at  the  Falls  of  Amoskeag,  in 
the  cavities  of  which,  tradition  says,  the  Indians  formerly  stored 
and  concealed  their  corn. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  25 

Daniel  Waldo,  Andrew  Cook,  Samuel  Whiting, 
John  Lovewell,  John  Acres,  John  Waldo,  Wil- 
liam Beale,  Samuel  Beale,  John  Cummings,  Rob- 
ert Usher,  Henry  Farwell,  Robert  Proctor,  Jo- 
seph Lovewell,  John  Lovewell,  jr.  The  earliest 
compact  settlements  were  made  near  the  mouth 
of  Salmon  brook,  between  its  mouth  and  the  main 
road,  and  so  down  the  Merrimac,  upon  the  spots 
deserted  by  the  Indians. 

The  land  which  lay  between  Salmon  brook  and 
the  Merrimac  xvas  called  "  The  Neck,"  and  for 
greater  security  the  "  housne-lotts  "  (house  lots} 
of  the  first  settlers  were  laid  out  adjoining  each 
other,  and  "within  the  neck."  The  lots  which 
lay  nearest  Salmon  brook  ran  from  Salmon  brook 
to  the  Merrimac,  and  were  generally  from  thirty 
to  forty  rods  in  width  upon  each  stream.  After 
the  first  six  or  eight  lots,  the  west  line  of  the  lots 
was  bounded  upon  "  Long  Hill."  In  the  rear  of 
the  school  house  in  the  Harbor  district  in  Nashua, 
and  the  north  and  east  edges  of  the  Mill 
Pond,  several  cellar  holes  are  still  visible,  and 
within  a  few  years  an  ancient  well  was  open. 
Apple  trees  are  there  standing,  hollow,  splintered, 
covered  with  moss  and  almost  entirely  decayed, 
bearing  marks  of  very  great  antiquity.  The  ear- 
ly settlers  came  from  the  south  eastern  part  of 
England,  where  cider  and  perry  were  manufac- 
tured in  great  quantities,  and  they  brought  with 
them  the  same  tastes  and  habits.  Orchards  are 
spoken  of  in  our  town  records  as  early  as  1675, 
and  these  shattered  relics  of  an  age  that  is  past 
may  possibly  have  been  the  original  stock,  or  at 
least  their  immediate  descendants. 

About  fifty  rods  north  east  of  the  school  house, 
near  a  small  cluster  of  oaks,  stood  the  "OLD 
FORT,"  or  garrison,  in  which  the  inhabitants 
dwelt  in  seasons  of  imminent  danger,  and  to 


HISTORY    OF 


which  they  often  retired  at  night.  There  was  a 
well  in  the  fort  which  was  open  until  within  a 
few  years.  South  of  this  spot,  on  the  north  bank 
of  Salmon  brook,  and  just  in  rear  of  the  house  of 
Miss  Allds,  were  the  houses  of  Hassell,  Temple, 
and  Perry,  the  cellar  holes  of  which  are  still  vis- 
ible. The  field  adjoining  was  owned  by  Perry, 
and  is  still  known  as  the  "  Perry  Field." 

After  the  Charter  was  obtained  in  1673,  the 
inhabitants  increased  rapidly.  The  proprietors 
made  liberal  grants  to  actual  settlers,  and  upon 
the  following  conditions,  which  have  been  select- 
ed from  their  articles  of  agreement  drawn  up 
1  Oct.  15,  1673. 

"  Every  one  yt(l.)  is  received  (as  an  inhabitant,)  shall 
have  10  acres  for  liis  person,  and  one  acre  more  added 
thereto  for  every  £20  estate,  and  none  shall  have  above  30 
acres  in  yr  house  lotts,  nor  none  under  30  acres,  and  yt  all 
after  divisions  of  land  shall  be  proportioned  according  to 
their  home  lotts,  and  so  shall  all  yr  public  charges  be,  both 
as  to  church  and  town. 

"All  ye  inhabitants  yt  are  received  into  this  town  shall 
make  improvements  of  ye  lotts  yt  they  take  np,  by  build- 
ing upon  them,  by  fencing  and  by  breaking  up  land,  by  the 
time  prefixed  by  the  General  Court,  wh.  is  by  Oct.  iG76, 
and  they  shall  live,  each  inhabitant  upon  his  own  lott,  or 
else  put  such  inhabitant  upon  it  as  the  town  accepts. 

"  To  the  intent  yt  we  may  li\re  in  love  and  peace  togeth- 
er we  do  agree,  yt  whatever  fence  we  do  make,  either 
about  cornfields,  orchards  or  gardens,  shall  be  a  sufficient 
four  rail  fence,  or  yt  which  is  equivalent,  whether  hedge, 
ditch,  or  stone  wall,  or  of  loggs,  and  if  any  person  sustain 
damage  through  the  deficiency  of  their  own  fences  not 
being  according  to  order,  he  shall  bear  his  own  damage. — 
And  if  any  man's  cattle  be  unruly  he  shall  do  his  best  en- 
deavour to  restrain  them  from  doing  himself  or  his  neigh- 
bour (any  harm.)" 

These  conditions,  which  evince  much  foresight, 
combined  with  the  local  advantages,  were  readi- 

(1.)  I  have  preservfd  the  original  spelling,  in  which  yr.  yt,  ye, 
are  written  for  their,  that,  and  the. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  27 

ly  accepted,  for  May  llth.  1674,  a  meeting  was 
holden  at  "the  house  of  Lt.  Joseph  Wheeler," 
and  a  written  agreement  made  between  the  pro- 
prietors and  settlers.  In  this  agreement  it  is  pro- 
vided, that  "  the  meeting  house  which  is  to  be 
erected  shall  stand  between  Salmon  brook  and 
the  house  of  Lt.  Wheeler,  as  convenient  as  may 
be  for  the  accommodation  of  both."  As  a  meet- 
ing house  in  those  perilous  times,  when  men  toil- 
ed and  worshipped  with  their  rifles  by  their  side, 
would  not  be  very  likely  to  be  erected  beyond  the 
settlement,  we  may  reasonably  suppose  that  the 
settlement  at  Salmon  brook  had  already  com- 
menced, and  that  at  that  date  there  were  a  con- 
siderable number  of  inhabitants. 


3* 


I 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  INDIAN  WAR  OF  1675. 

IN  (he  summer  of  1675  the  war  with  Phiiip, 
the  powerful  arid  wily  Sachem  of  the  Warnpano- 
agSj  commenced,  which  involved  nearly  nil  the 
Indians  in  New  England-  It  was  not  without  a 
bitter  struggle  that  the  red  men  left  their  pleas- 
ant valleys,  where  they  had  roamed  in  child- 
hood, and  where  the  bones  of  their  fathers  rested. 
Township  after  township  had  been  occupied  by 
the  white  men,  and  they  had  been  crowded  from 
their  ancient  hunting  fields  and  fishing  stations. 
At  length  they  were  surrounded  by  settlements, 
and  mutual  aggressions  and  heart-burnings  en- 
sued. The  red  man.^nd  the  white  man  could 
not  longer  live  together,  and  the  annihilation  of 
one  party  or  the  other  seemed  the  only  alterna- 
tive. The  Indians  combined  for  a  war  of  exter- 
mination, and  all  throughout  New  England  were 
burning  and  massacre  and  devastation.  Lan- 
caster, Groton  and  Chelmsford  were  destroyed, 
and  hundreds  killed  or  carried  into  captivity. 

At  such  a  period,  with  a  war  of  extermination 
raging  all  around  them,  the  settlers  of  Dunstable 
were  indeed  in  a  perilous  situation.  Scarcely  as 
yet  were  the  forests  cleared  away,  and  their  dwel- 
lings erected.  Even  their  meeting-house  was  not 
yet  finished.  To  increase  their  alarm,  Wanna- 
lancet  withdrew  from  Wamesit.and  surprise  mag- 


^ ,  .  : 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  29 

nified  it  into  a  proof  of  hostility.  When  the  news 
of  the  first  bloodshed  came  to  Dun  stable,  in 
1675,  (i  seven  Indians,  belonging  to  Narragansett, 
Long  Island  and  Pcquod,  who  had  been  at  work 
for  seven  weeks  with  one  Mr.  Jonathan  Tyng,  of 
Dunstable,  on  Merrimac  river,  hearing  of  the  war, 
they  reckoned  with  their  master,  and  getting  their 
wages,  conveyed  themselves  away  without  his 
privity,  and  being  afraid,  marched  secretly 
through  the  woods,  designing  to  go  to  their  own 
country.  (1.)  At  Quaboag,  (now  Brookficld, 
Mass.,)  however,  they  were  discovered  by  some 
friendly  Indians,  arrested  and  sent  to  Boston, 
where  they  were  confined  fora  considerable  time, 
but  nothing  being  proved  against  them,  they  were 
at  length  discharged." 

The  settlers  petitioned  for  relief  from  the  Col- 
ony, in  their  distresses,  and  Capt.  Samuel  Mose- 
ly,  just  on  his  march  to  the  fight  at  Bloody  Brook, 
thus  writes  :  "  Nasawok,  alias  Lancaster,  August 
18,  IGTB'.v  According  to  my  orders  from  Maj. 
Gen.  Denison,  I  sent  to  Dunstable  eighteen  men 
for  to  enlarge  their  garrison,  and  to  Chelmsford 
twelve  men,  and  to  Groton  twelve  men."  (2.) — 
This  force  was  continued  for  their  protection  du- 
ring the  whole  of  the  year,  and  an  attack  pre- 
vented. 

Sept.  8,  1675.  instructions  were  given  by  the 
Governor  and  Council  (3.)  to  Capt.  Thomas  Brat- 
tle and  Lt.  Thomas  Henchman,  to  take  various 
measures  for  the  better  security  of  the  settlement. 
They  were  ordered, 

First :   To  draft  fifty  men  and  form  garrisons  at  Dunstable, 
Groton,  and  Lancaster. 

(1.)     Gookiti's  Praying  Indian".     2  Am.  Antiq.  Coll.  443. 
(2.)     Original  letter.     Military  Records,  Mast.  1675. 
(3.)     Military  Records,  Mass.   1675,  page  232.     Gookin,  2  Am. 
Ant.  Coll.  452. 


30  HISTORY   OF 


Second:  To  appoint  a  Guardian  over  the  friendly  Indians, 
at  each  of  their  towns,  who  should  oversee  them,  and 
prevent  all  difficulties  or  dangers  which  might  occur  up- 
on either  side : 

Tliird:  To  "send  a  runner  or  two  to  Wannalancet,  Sa- 
chem of  Naamkeak,  (1.)  who  had  withdrawn  into  the 
woods  from  fear,"  and  to  persuade  him  "  to  come  in 
again  "  and  live  at  Watnesit: 

Fourth:  To  inform  the  Indians  at  Penacook  and  Naticook 
that  if  they  will  live  quietly  and  peaceably,  they  shall 
not  be  harmed  by  the  English. 

These  instructions  were  immediately  and  strict- 
ly obeyed.  The  garrison  at  Dunstable  was 
strengthened.  Lt.  Henchman  took  charge  of  the 
Indians  at  Wamesit.  Runners  were  sent  out  to 
Wannalancet,  but  they  did  not  prevail  upon  him 
to  return  until  the  close  of  the  war  the  next  sum- 
mer. Capt.  Mosely,  with  his  choice  company  of 
one  hundred  men,  making  Dunstable  his  place  of 
rendezvous,  marched  up  to  Naticook  and  Pena- 
cook to  disperse  the  hostile  Indians  who  were 
said  to  be  gathered  there  for  the  purpose  of  mis- 
chief. "  When  the  English  drew  nigh,  whereof 
they  had  intelligence  by  scouts,  they  left  their 
fort,  and  withdrew  into  the  woods  and  swamps, 
where  they  had  advantage  and  opportunity 
enough  in  ambushment  to  have  slain  many  of 
the  English  soldiers,  without  any  great  harm  to 
themselves,  and  several  of  the  young  Indians  in- 
clined to  it,  but  the  Sachem,  Wannalancet,  by 
his  authority  and  wisdom  restrained  his  men, 
and  suffered  not  an  Indian  to  appear  or  shoot  a 
gun.  They  were  very  near  the  English,  and  yet 
though  they  were  provoked  by  the  English,  who 


(l.)Pawtucketfalls  and  vicinity.  Amoskeag, properly  Namaskeak,  is 
the  same  word.  It  is  said  to  mean  "thegreatjishingpla.ee,"  and  was  a 
favorite  of  the  Indians.  The  Merrimac  received  this  name  for  some 
distance  around  the  Falls,  as  it  did  other  names  at  other  places,  or 
as  is  quaintly  expressed  by  an  Indian  in  a  letter  of  May  1685  to  the 
Governor :  "  My  place  at  Malamake  River,  called  Pannukkog  (Pen- 
acook,) and  Natukhog  (Naticook,)  that  river  great  many  names." 
1  Belknap,  appendix,  508. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


31 


burned  their  wigwams  and  destroyed  some  dried 
fish,  yet  not  one  gun  was  shot  at  any  English- 
man. "(1.)  Wannalancet  is  said  to  have  been 
restrained  by  the  dying  speech  of  Passaconaway, 
his  father. 

The  Indians  who  dwelt  at  Naticook  (2.)  were 
alarmed  at  their  hostile  movements,  and  gather- 
ing their  corn  hastily,  prepared  to  leave  their 
homes.  This  created  new  suspicion  and  alarm 
among  the  settlers,  and  nearly  all  of  them  de- 
serted the  town,  although  companies  of  scouts 
were  constantly  traversing  the  wilderness  for  the 
protection  of  the  frontiers. 

The  winter  of  1675  was  a  time  of  fear  and  of 
trial.  Never  had  "the  Indian  enemy"  been 
more  active  or  dreaded.  Even  the  "  Christian 
Indians  "  had  communications  with  their  hostile 
brethren,  and  the  whites  began  to  suspect  them 
of  treachery.  The  alarm  increased  to  such  a 
degree  that  every  settler  left  Dunstable  except 
Jonathan  Tyng.(3.)  With  a  resolution  which  is 
worthy  of  all  praise,  and  of  which  we  with  diffi- 
culty conceive,  he  fortified  his  house;  and  al- 
though "  obliged  to  send  to  Boston  for  his  food," 
sat  himself  down  in  the  midst-of  his  savage  ene- 
mies, alone,  in  the  wilderness,  to  defend  his  home. 
Deeming  his  position  an  important  one  for  the 
defence  of  the  frontiers,  in  Feb.  1676,  he  peti- 
tioned the  Colony  for  aid.  (4.) 

"  The  Petition  of  Jonathan  Tyng  Humbly  sheweth: 

That  yr  Petitioner  living  in  the  uppermost  house  on 
Merrimac  river,  lying  open  to  ye  enemy,  yet  being  so  seat- 

(1.)     Gookin,  in  2  Am.  Antiq.  Coll.  463. 

(2.)  The  name  given  by  the  Indians  to  the  lands  on  both  sides 
of  the  Merrimac,  about  Naticook  brook  and  pond  in  Merrimac  and 
in  Litchfield. 

(3.)  Tyng's  house  probably  stood  not  far  from  Wicasuck  Falls, 
below  Tyngsborough  village. 

(4.)     See  original  petition.     Mass.  Military  Records,  128. 


32  HISTORY    OF 


ed  that  it  is  as  it  were  a  watch  house  to  the  neighhoiiring 
towns,  from  whence  we  can  easily  give  them  notice  ot  the 
approach  of  the  enemy,  and  may  also  be  of  use  to  the  pub- 
lique  in  many  respects  ;  also  are  near  unto  the  place  of  the 
Indian's  ffishing,  from  which  in  the  season  thereof  they 
have  great  supplies,  which  I 'doubt  not  but  we  may  be  a 
great  means  of  preventing  them  thereof;  there  being  never 
an  inhabitant  left  in  the  town  but  myself: — 

Wherefore  your  Petitioner  doth  humbly  request  that 
your  Honors  would  be  pleased  to  order  him  three  or  four 
men  to  help' garrison  his  said  house,  which  he  has  been  at 
great  charge  to  ffortify,  and  may  be  of  service  to  the  pub- 
lique  :  your  favour  therein  shall  further  oblige  me  as  in 
duty  bound  to  pray  for  a  blessing  on  your  Councils,  and 
remain  Your  Honorables'  humble  servant, 

JONATHAN  TTNG." 

Dunstable,  Feb.  3,  1675-'6.(1.) 

This  petition  was  granted  immediately,  and  a 
guard  of  several  men  despatched  to  his  relief, 
which  remained  during  the  war.  This  planta- 
tion was  never  deserted,  and  he  thus  became  the 
earliest  permanent  settler  within  the  limits  of 
Dunstable. 

February  25,  1675-'6,  an  attack  was  made  by 
the  Indians  upon  Chelmsford,  and  several  build- 
ings were  burned.  Colburn's  garrison  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Merrimac  was  strengthened,  but  near- 
ly all  the  outer  settlements  were  deserted.  A  few 
days  later,  March  20,  another  attack  was  made, 
and  Joseph  Parker  wounded. (2.)  There  was  no 
surgeon  in  the  vicinity,  and  an  express  was  sent 
to  Boston  to  obtain  one.  The  Council  ordered 
Dr.  David  Middleton  to  repair  forthwith  lo 
Chelmsford,  from  whence  he  writes,  "We expect 
the  Indians  to  attack  us  every  hour,"  and  he  asks 

(1.)  What  was  called  Feb.  3,  1675,  when  the  year  ended  in 
March,  is  Feb.  3,  1C76  if  we  consider  the  year  as  ending  in  Decem- 
ber, and  in  order  to  designate  this,  all  dates  occurring  in  the  months 
of  January,  February,  or  March,  previous  to  A.  D.  1751,  are  describ- 
ed in  the  above  manner.  The  true  date  is  Feb.  3,  1676. 

(2.)  He  was  a  settler  of  Dunstable,  and  constable  from  1675  to 
1682. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  33 

that  troops  may  be  sent  for  their  defence  without 
delay,  lest  they  should  be  cut  off  by  the  enemy.  (1) 
Such  is  a  specimen  of  life  upon  the  frontiers  dur- 
ing the  heat  of  an  Indian  war. 

A  small  garrison  had  been  maintained  at  Lieut. 
Henchman's  house  from  August,  1675,  but  in 
April,  1676,  for  the  greater  security  of  the  fron- 
tiers, the  Governor  and  Council  ordered  a  fort  to 
be  built  at  Pawtucket  falls,  (2.)  which  was  im- 
mediately done,  and  placed  under  the  command 
of  Lieut.  James  Richardson.  In  May,  1676,  an 
additional  force  was  stationed  at  the  fort,  under 
the  command  of  Capt.  Henchman,  on  account  of 
"intelligence  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy." 
This  was  an  effectual  check  to  the  incursions  of 
the  Indians ;  and  the  death  of  Philip,  which  oc- 
curred soon  after,  (August,  1676,)  with  the  de- 
struction of  the  greater  part  of  his  forces,  put  an 
end  to  the  war.  (3.)  The  settlers  returned  to 
their  deserted  homes,  and  the  settlement  received 
new  life  and  vigor. 

The  General  Court  still  retained  their  guardi- 
anship of  the  Indians,  and  in  the  summer  of  1676, 
ordered  those  "  that  relate  to  Wannalancet,"  or 
Pawtuckets,  or  Wamesits,  to  remove  to  a  place 
'•'near  Mr.  Jonathan  Tyng's,  at  Dunstable." 
This  was,  perhaps,  near  Wicasuck  falls  and  is- 
land, which  were  their  property.  Here  they 
were  placed,  "  with  Mr.  Tyng's  consent,  and  un- 
der his  inspection  when  at  home,  and  in  his  ab- 
sence," says  Gookin,  "the  care  of  them  is  un- 
der one  Robert  Parris,  who  is  Mr.  Tyng's  vail." 
The  whole  number  thus  removed  to  Dunstable 
was  about  ten  men  and  fifty  women  and  chil- 


(1.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1676, page  168. 

(2.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  page  211. 

(3.)  3  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  99—100.     1  Holmes'  Annals,  429. 


R 


34 


HISTORY    OF 


dren — "fifteen  men  and  fifty  women  and  chil- 
dren" having  been  "removed  elsewhere,"  to  va- 
rious places,  and  "  bound  out  to  service."  For 
Indians  who  had  ever  been  so  true  and  friendly 
to  the  English,  this  would  seem  to  be  no  very 
grateful  or  even  kindly  treatment. 

These  were  Christian  or  "praying"  Indians, 
and  Dunstable  was  one  of  the  "six places"  at 
which  they  had  a  church  and  religious  teachers. 
Here,  says  Gookin,  one  of  their  unvarying 
friends,  who  visited  and  comforted  them,  "they 
meet  together  to  worship  God,  and  keep  the  Sab- 
bath." (1.)  Some  of  their  teachers  were  Indians, 
their  own  brethren,  who  had  been  educated  by 
Eliot,  and  here  their  prayers  and  praises  went 
up  to  the  common  Father  of  the  red  man  and  the 
white  man,  who  "  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  na- 
tions of  men  for  to  dwell  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth."  Here,  too,  came  Eliot,  the  noble  "Apos- 
tle of  the  Indians,"  who  had  been  their  teacher 
at  Wamesit,  and  who  did  not  desert  them  when 
they  were  scattered  abroad.  Where  his  feet  have 
trodden  and  his  prayers  ascended,  we  may  "call 
it  holy  ground." 

The  treatment  of  the  Indians  by  our  forefa- 
thers generally,  and  of  Wannalancet  especially, 
was  not  Christian,  and  scarcely  humane.  They 
were  ordered  to  move  and  remove  at  their  will, 
imprisoned  on  the  most  unfounded  suspicions, 
their  hunting  fields  taken  away,  their  fishing  pla- 
ces and  corn-fields  encroached  on  with  impunity, 
yet  Wannalancet  remained  friendly  to  the  end. 
They  seemed  to  consider  the  Indians  as  "chil- 
dren of  the  devil,"  and  that  they,  like  the  Jews, 
were  raised  up  to  destroy  them.  Even  in  their 
Covenant  of  Faith,  the  same  feeling  exhibits  il- 

(1.)  Gookin's  Christian  Indians.     2  Am.  Ant.  Coll.,  523. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  35 

self,  since  they  promise  "  not  to  lay  a  stumbling 
block  before  any,  no,  not  even  the  Indians." 

As  a  farther  illustration  of  the  spirit  of  those 
days,  we  quote  the  following  from  Dr.  Increase 
Mather,  the  leading  minister  of  the  time.  Speak- 
ing of  "  the  efficacy  of  prayer"  he  says  :  "  Nor 
could  they  cease  praying  to  the  Lord  against 
Philip,  until  they  had  prayed  the  bullet  into  his 
heart."  Again  he  adds,  "We have  heard  of 
twenty-two  Indian  captives  slain  together  all  of 
them,  and  brought  down  to  hell  in  one  day."  (1.) 

A  garrison  was  maintained  at  Mr.  Tyng's,  by 
a  part  of  Capt.  Mosely's  famous  company,  and 
at  the  expense  of  the  Colony,  until  August,  1676. 
The  General  Court  allowed  him  £100  (2.)  for 
his  disbursements,  as  he  was  "  put  to  great  ex- 
pense, being  obliged  to  buy  his  food  in  Boston," 
and  after  the  departure  of  the  Indians  in  1683, 
granted  him  Wicasuck  island  in  payment  there- 
for. (3.)  They  also  granted  him  a  considerable 
sum  for  damage  done  by  the  Indians  during  the 
war,  and  also  to  "  Thomas  Wheeler  and  son,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  wounded."  (4.) 

The  war  with  the  Narragansets  was  indeed  end- 
ed, but  the  settlers  had  not  escaped  all  danger  or 
alarm.  March  22,  1677,  (5.)  a  party  of  Mo- 
hawks, always  the  enemy  of  the  English,  sud- 
denly appeared  in  Dunstable,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Souhegan.  Their  appearance  is  thus  described 
in  a  letter  from  "  James  Parker,"  at  "  Mr.  Hinch- 

(1.)  Gookin's  History  of  the  Praying-  Indians.     2  Am.  Ant.  Coll. 

(2.)  Pounds,  shillings  and  pence  were  the  currency  of  New  Eng- 
land until  the  Revolution,  when  the  Dollar  and  our  decimal  curren- 
cy were  adopted  instead.  The  pound  containing  twenty  shillings 
was  worth  83.33 ;  shillings  and  pence  are  still  used  in  reckoning. 

(3.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1683. 

(4.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1676,  page  121. 

(5.)  Holmes'  Annals,  4.2$.  I  Belknap,80.  Allen's  Chelmsford,155. 


36 


HISTORY   OF 


marine's  farme  ner  Meremack,"    and  forwarded 
u  to  the  Honred  Govner  and  Council  at  Bostown, 

HAST,  POST  HAST."   (I.) 

"  Sagamore  Wanalancet  come  this  morning  to  informe 
me,  and  then  went  to  Mr.  Tyng's  to  informe  him,  that  his 
son  being  one  ye  other  sid  of  Meremack  river  over  against 
Souhegan  upon  the  22  day  of  this  instant,  about  tene  of  the 
clock  in  the  morning,  he  discovered  15  Indians  on  this  sid 
the  River,  which  he  soposed  to  be  Mohokes  by  ther  spech. 
He  called  to  them  ;  they  answered,  but  he  could  not  un- 
derstand ther  spech  ;  and  he  having  a  conow  ther  in  the 
river,  he  went  to  breck  hig  conow  that  they  might  not  have 
ani  ues  of  it.  In  the  mean  time  they  shot  about  thirty  guns 
at  him,  and  he  being  much  frighted  fled,  and  come  home 
forthwith  to  Nahamcok,  wher  ther  wigowames  now  stand." 

In  consequence  of  this  alarm  a  company  of 
scouts,  under  Lt.  James  Richardson,  (2.)  trav- 
ersed the  valley  of  the  Merrimac  during  the  whole 
season,  to  ward  off  any  threatened  attack.  A 
garrison  was  also  maintained  at  the  expense  of 
the  Colony.  But  in  September  1677  a  party  of 
French  Mohawks  from  Quebec  suddenly  came  to 
Naamkeak  (near  Pawtucket  Falls,)  with  whom 
was  said  to  be  the  brother  of  Wannalancet,  and 
carried  him  with  all  his  tribe  to  Canada.  They 
did  no  damage  to  the  English,  however,  although 
they  had  suffered  so  many  provocations,  and  now 
enjoyed  such  an  opportunity  for  revenge,  "being 
restrained  as  is  supposed  by  Wannalancet."  (3.) 

From  this  long  catalogue  of  perils,  alarms,  and 
disasters,  we  may  now  turn  to  the  civil  affairs  of 
the  town,  and  to  a  period  when  peace  brought 
with  it  its  attendant  blessings — security  and  pros- 
perity. The  settler  no  longer  feared  an  ambus- 
cade in  every  thicket,  nor  listened  in  the  night 

fl.)  ZN.H.  Hist.  Coll.,  100. 

(2.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1677,  page  519 

(3.)  Gookin.  2  Am.  Ant.  Coll.  520.     ' 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  37 

watches  for  the  prowling  footsteps  of  a  foe.  Eng- 
land and  France,  Charles  II.  and  Louis  XIV., 
were  at  war  no  longer.  The  "  Treaty  of  Nime- 
guen,';(l.)  strange  though  it  be,  was  the  protec- 
tion of  Dunstable.  The  deserted  cabin  was  again 
tenanted,  the  half  cleared  field  was  cleared  and 
tilled,  and  new  cabins  sent  up  their  smokes  all 
along  our  rich  intervals. 

(I.)  Juiy  31,  1678. 


CHAPTER  III. 


HISTORY  FROM  1675  TO  1685. 

TOWN  meetings  were  holderi  in  Dunstable  as 
early  as  1675,  and  town  officers  were  then  chos- 
en, for  in  1682  we  find  the  town  voting  "  yt  Jo- 
seph Parker  have  20  shillings  allowed  him  for  his 
seven  years  services  as  Constable." (1.)  No  re- 
cords, however,  of  any  meeting  are  preserved  of 
an  earlier  date  than  November  28,  1677.  This 
was  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors  as  well  as  of  the 
settlers,  and  was  holden  at  Woburn,  at  which 
place  the  meetings  for  the  choice  of  I  own  officers 
were  held  for  many  years,  and  occasionally  as 
late  as  1711.  The  record  is  as  follows:  (2.) 

"  Nov.  28,  1677.    At  a  Town  meeting  held  at  Woburn. 

"Capt.  Thomas  Brattle,  Capt.  (Elisha)  Hutchinson, 
Capt.  (James)  Parker,  Mr.  Jonathan  Tinge,  and  Abraham 
Parker  were  chosen  Selectmen  for  the  Town  of  Dunstable 
for  the  year  ensuinge,  and  to  stand  as  such  till  new  be  chos- 
en.  (3.) 

''  It  was  also  agreed  upon  and  voted  yt  as  soon  as  may 
be,  a  minister  be  settled  in  the  town  of  Dunstable.  The 
time  and  person  to  be  left  to  the  Selectmen ;  his  pay  to  be 
m  money,  or  if  in  other  pay  the  rate  being  to  be  made  as 
money  to  add  a  third  part  more. 

(1.)  The  constable  was  the  collector  of  taxes  also,  and  the  com- 
pensation for  all  his  services  was  about  fifty  cents  per  year. 

(2.)  For  this  and  all  other  similar  references,  examine  Dunstable 
Records  of  the  date  affixed. 

(3.)  Brattle  was  of  Boston,  Hutchinson  of  Woburn,  James  Par- 
ker of  Groton,  Tyng  of  Dunstable,  and  Abraham  Parker  of  Chelms- 
ford.  The  latter  resided  soon  after  in  this  town,  and  is  ihc  ancestor 
of  Edmund  Parker,  Esq. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  39 

"Likewise  yt  all  public  charges  relating  to  the  minister 
and  other  occasions  is  always  to  be  levied  upon  allottments, 
and  every  man  engages  his  accommodations,  [pledges  liis 
farm,]  to  answer  and  perform  the  same. 

"It  was  also  voted  that  the  minister  the  first  year  shall 
have  fifty  pounds,  [equal  to  about  $300.00  now,]  and  the 
overplus  of  the  ffunnes,  and  never  to  be  abated." 

Then  follows  a  vote  extending  the  time  for 
building  a  meeting  house  and  settling  a  minister, 
Tirhich  was  a  condition  of  the  grant  in  1673,  but 
which  had  not  been  complied  with,  for  the  space 
of  three  years  longer,  for  the  purpose  of  saving  the 
forfeited  rights  of  the  settlers.  They  intended, 
nevertheless,  to  build  at  once,  for  it  was  "  left 
with  Mr.  Jonathan  Tyng,  Capt.  Parker  and  Abra- 
ham Parker  to  agree  with  John  Lollendine,  (who 
was  the  first  house  and  mill  wright  in  town,)  to 
secure  and  finish  said  house,"  which  had  been 
commenced  before  the  desertion  of  the  settlement 
in  1675. 

Several  persons  were  also  "  admitted  as  inhab- 
itants," and  it  was  voted  "yt  the  selectmen  have 
power  to  add  other  inhabitants,  provided  that 
with  the  present  they  exceed  not  the  number  of 
eighty  families." 

Before  the  Revolution  of  16S9,  no  person  could 
vote  or  be  elected  to  any  office  until  he  had  been 
admitted  a  Freeman  of  the  Commonwealth.  This 
might  be  done  by  the  General  Assembly  or  the 
County  Court,  but  only  upon  evidence  of  his  be- 
ing a  member  in  good  standing  of  some  Congre- 
gational Church.  Before  voting  every  person 
was  required  to  take  "the  Freeman's  Oath." 

This  meeting  house  was  finished  in  1678,  and 
was  probably  built  of  logs.  The  precise  spot 
where  it  stood  is  not  known,  but  probably  it  was 
not  far  distant  from  the  settlement  at  Salmon 
brook.  As  the  settlement  increased  a  new  meet- 


40  HISTORY    OF 


ing  house  was  erected  near  the  old  Burying 
Ground  in  the  south  part  of  Nashua.  In  the 
Journal  of  a  scout  in  1724,  it  is  said  to  have 
stood  about  nine  miles  distant  from  Penichook 
pond.  No  other  church,  except  those  which  suc- 
ceeded this  upon  the  same  spot,  was  erected  in 
the  southern  part  of  New  Hampshire  for  more 
than  forty  years,  and  its  minister,  like  another 
John  the  Baptist,  was  "  the  voice  of  one  crying  in 
the  wilderness." 

April  22,  1679,  William  Tyng,  son  of  Jonathan 
Tyng,  was  born  in  this  town.  This  is  the  first 
birth  which  is  found  upon  the  records  of  the  town. 
April,  1680,  Sarah,  daughter  of  John  Lollendine, 
was  born.  It  is  probable  that  other  births  occur- 
red at  a  much  earlier  date,  since  it  is  known  that 
there  were  many  inhabitants  for  years  previous, 
and  in  1680  "  30  families  were  settled  there  and 
a  learned  orthodox  minister  ordained  among 
them."(l.) 

Before  1679,  a  lot  of  land  upon  Salmon  brook 
was  granted  by  the  town,  and  known  as  "the 
mill  lot,"  and  a  saw  mill  erected.  Where  it  stood 
is  not  known,  but  it  is  not  improbable  that  it  was 
on  the  spot  where  the  "  Webb  Mill,"  near  the 
house  of  J.  Bowers,  Esq.,  now  stands,  since  it  is 
known  that  a  mill  stood  there  at  a  very  early  pe- 
riod, and  it  would^  probably  be  located  as  near 
the  settlement  as  possible.  There  was  originally 
a  beaver  dam  at  that  place,  and  it  required  but 
little  labor  to  prepare  the  site  for  the  mill.  Many 
years  ago  a  mill  crank  was  dug  up  near  the  spot, 
which  must  have  come  from  its  ruins. 

As  early  as  May  1,  1679,  and  perhaps  before 
that  time,  Rev.  Thomas  Weld  was  employed  here 

(1.)  Petition  in  2  Province  Papers— Towns— 253,  in  office  of  N. 
H.  Secretary  of  State. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  41 


as  a  minister.  In  the  settlement  of  New  Eng- 
land, religion  was  at  the  very  foundation.  The 
means  of  religious  instruction  ever  kept  pace  with 
the  spread  of  population,  and  "  he  who  counted 
Religion  as  ticelve,  and  the  world  as  thirteen,  had 
not  the  spirit  of  a  true  New  England  man. "(I.) 
In  the  very  charter,  therefore,  it  was  provided  by 
the  General  Court,  that  the  grantees  were  to 
"procure  and  maintain  an  "able  and  orthodox 
minister  amongst  them,"  and  to  build  a  meeting 
house  "  within  three  years."  This  condition 
could  not  be  complied  with  on  account  of  Philip's 
War,  which  compelled  them  to  desert  the  settle- 
ment, yet,  as  we  have  seen,  at  the  first  town 
meeting  which  was  holden  after  its  resettlement. 
I\\Q  first  vote  was  for  the  choice  of  Selectmen,  and 
the  next  a  provision  for  the  ministry  and  a  place 
for  public  worship,  the  Selectmen  just  chosen  be- 
ing appointed  agents  to  carry  the  vote  into  effect. 
A  '-'-  thirty  acre  right"  as  it  was  called,  entitling 
the  owner  to  about  six  hundred  acres  on  the  sub- 
sequent divisions  of  the  common  lands,  was  grant- 
ed fora  !i  ministerial  lot,"  as  a  farther  encourage- 
ment to  the  ministry.  Upon  this  Mr.  Weld  re- 
sided, and  it  is  probably  a  part  of  the  Fletcher 
farm  now  owned  by  John  Little. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  character  and  man- 
ners of  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  town,  the  laws 
of  the  Colony  at  this  period;  as  an  exponent  of 
public  opinion,  form  perhaps  the  best  criterion. 
In  1651,  •'  dancing  at  weddings'''  was  forbidden, 
and  in  1660,  "  William  Walker  was  imprisoned 
a  month  for  courting  a  maid  without  the  leave  of 
her  parents.'''  In  1675,  because  "  there  is  mani- 
fest pride  appearing  in  our  streets"  the  wearing 
of  "  long  hair  or  periwigs"  and  also  "  supersti- 
tious ribands"  used  to  tie  up  and  decorate  the 

(1.)  Hisr^inson^s  Election  Sermon,  1663. 
—  . fc 


42  HISTORY  OF 


hair,  were  forbidden  under  severe  penalties. — 
Men,  too,  were  forbidden  to  "keep  Christmas," 
because  it  was  a  Popish  custom.  In  1677  an  act 
was  passed  to  prevent  "  the  prof  fineness"  of 
"  turning  the  back  upon  the  public  worship  before 
it  is  finished,  and  the  blessing-  pronounced" — 
Towns  were  directed  to  erect  "  a  cage  "  near  the 
meeting  house,  and  in  this  all  offenders  against 
the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  were  confined. 

At  the  same  time  children  were  directed  to  be 
placed  in  a  particular  part  of  the  meeting  house, 
apart  by  themselves,  and  Tythingmen  were  or- 
dered to  be  chosen,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to 
take  care  of  them.  So  strict  were  they  in  their 
observance  of  the  Sabbath,  that  "John  Ather- 
lon"(l.)  a  soldier  of  Col.  Tyns's  company,  was 
fined  by  him  "forty  shillings "  for  "wetting  a 
piece  of  an  old  hat  to  put  into  his  shoes"  which 
chafed  his  feet  upon  the  march,  and  those  who 
neglected  to  attend  meeting  for  three  months  were 
publicly  whipped.  Even  in  Harvard  College  stu- 
dents were  whipped  for  grave  offences  in  the 
chapel,  in  presence  of  students  and  Professors, 
and  prayers  were  had  before  and  after  the  inflic- 
tion of  the  punishment.  As  the  settlers  of  Dun- 
stable  are  described  in  the  Petition  as  "of  sober 
and  orderly  conversation/'  we  may  suppose  that 
these  laws  and  customs  were  rigidly  observed. 

We  ought  not  to  wonder  at  the  seeming  auster- 
ity of  the  Puritans  :  still  less  should  we  blame  or 
ridicule,  for  to  them  does  New  England  owe  her 
peculiar  elevation  and  privileges.  Scouted  at  by 
the  licentious  courtiers,  whether  Episcopalian  or 
Catholic,  for  their  strictness  and  formality,  nick- 
named "Crop-ears,"  ridiculed  for  their  poverty 
and  want  of  education,  they  naturally  clung  te- 
naciously to  those  peculiarities  for  which  tbey 

(1.)  He  was  of  Lancaster,  Mass. 


NASHUA,   NASHVILLE,  &C.  43 

had  suffered,  and  prized  them  most  dearly.  As 
naturally  did  they  dislike  all  which  savored  of 
the  offensive  worshiper  customs  of  their  persecu- 
tors, and  strive  sedulously  to  differ  from  them. 

They  would  have  no  proud  "  Churches,"  for 
"  the  Church  of  Christ  is  a  living  Temple,"  so 
in  their  plain,  unsteepled,  barn-like  -'Meeting- 
Houses"  they  worshipped  God  with  a  prouder 
humility.  The  Establishment  was  the  mystic 
"Babylon,"  and  all  its  forms,  rituals  and  tastes 
of  course  anti-Christian.  No  band  or  surplice 
added  dignity  to  the  minister,  for  he  was  but  the 
equal,  nay,  the  servant  of  all.  Long  hair  or  a 
wig  was  an  abomination,  and  a  crime  against  all 
laws  human  and  divine.  No  sound  of  bells  sum- 
moned them  to  worship,  and  no  organ  lifted  their 
prayers  and  praises  to  Heaven  upon  the  wings  of 
music.  They  placed  no  shrub  or  flower  over  the 
graves  of  the  dead,  but  instead  the  plain  slab  with 
quaint  carving  of  death's  head,  or  cross  bones, 
or  hourglass,  and  solemn  inscription.  All  orna- 
ment was  a  vain  show,  and  beauty  a  Delilah. 

They  believed  their  wilderness  homes  to  be 
"the  New  Jerusalem,"  and,  taking  the-  Bible  as 
their  standard,  labored  in  all  things  outwardly 
and  inwardly  to  be  "  a  peculiar  people."  And 
they  were  so.  They  did  really  believe  in  God 
and  religion,  and  they  strove  to  practice  what 
they  believed  at  any  sacrifice.  The  world  has 
seen  few  such  men,  and  it  will  be  well  for  New 
England  if  she  forget  not  the  principle,  the  real, 
living  FAITH,  which  inspired  and  exalted  the  Pu- 
ritans. 

No  records  exist  of  any  meeting  from  Novem- 
ber 1677,  to  April  1680,  when  Joseph  Cummings, 
Jr.,  was  chosen  a  Selectman  in  the  place  of  Cap- 
tain Hutchinson  ;  Joseph  Parker,  Jr.,  Constable: 
"Capt.  Parker,  Robert  Paris,  Joseph  Parker  and 


44  HISTORY    OF 


John  Lollendine  a  committee  to  assign  lotts."  At 
a  subsequent  meeting  they  also  "  chose  these  men 
to  run  the  line  between  Groton  and  us."  In  the 
Spring  of  this  year  lands  were  improved  upon 
the  north  side  of  the  Nashua. 

June  14,  1681,  "Jona.  Blansher  [Blanchard] 
and  Thomas  Lun  [Lund]  were  chose  fence  few- 
ers  [viewers,]  and  an  order  was  passed  command- 
ing all  persons  "  to  take  care  of  &  yook  yr.  hogs 
on  penilty  of  paing  double  damiges." 

In  November  1680,  a  great  comet  appeared,  at 
which,  says  Holmes,  "  the  people  were  greatly 
surprised  and  terrified."(l.)  It  continued  to  be 
visible  until  February,  1681,  and  was  "  the  lar- 
gest that  had  ever  been  seen."  So  great  and  gen- 
eral was  the  alarm  excited,  that  a  "  general 
fast"  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  and  Coun- 
cil, and  one  reason  assigned  in  the  proclamation 
was,  "  that  awful,  portentous,  blazing  star,  usu- 
ally foreboding  some  calamity  to  the  beholders 
thereof"  This  fast  was  observed  with  great 
strictness.  We  may  smile  at  the  ignorant  and 
superstitious  terror  of  even  the  dignitaries  and 
wise  men  of  the  land  in  those  days,  but  our  smile 
must  be  checked  a  little  when  we  remember  the 
alarm  excited  in  1833,  in  our  own  community  by 
a  similar  cause. 

Dec.  28,  1681,  died  Hon.  EDWARD  TYNG,  aged 
81.  Where  he  settled  is  unknown,  but  probably 
not  far  from  the  "  Haunted  House."  so  called,  in 
Tyngsborough.  He  was  born  in  Dunstable  in 
England,  in  1600,  settled  in  Boston  as  a  mer- 
chant, 1639.  was  Representative  1661  and  1662, 
Assistant  from.  1668  to  16S1,  and  Colonel  of  the 
Suffolk  Regiment.  It  appears  that  he  was  elect- 
ed major  general  after  Leverett,  but  it  is  not 

(1.)  Holmes'  Annals,  431. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &.C.  45 

known  that  he  served  in  that  office.     He  remov- 
ed to  Dun  stable  in  1679. 

He  left  six  children  : — Jonathan,  who  settled 
in  this  town  ;  (see  notice,)  Edward,  who  was  one 
of  Sir  Edmund  Andres's  Council,  1687,  and  Gov- 
ernor of  Annapolis;  (see  notice);  Hannah,  who 
married  Habijah  Savage,  (son  of  the  celebrated 
Major  Thomas  Savage,  commander  in  chief  in 
Philip's  war.)  who  afterward  married  Rev.  Tho- 
mas Weld,  and  resided  here  ;  Eunice,  wife  of  Rev. 
Samuel  Willard,  pastor  of  the  old  South  Church, 
Boston,  and  Vice  President  of  Harvard  college ; 
Rebecca,  wife  of  Gov.  Dudley ;  and  another 
daughter  who  married  a  Searle.  He  was  buried 
in  the  family  tomb  in  Tyngsborough,  and  a  mon- 
ument with  an  inscription  points  out  the  spot.(l.) 

In  1682,  the  inhabitants  seem  to  have  increased 
considerably,  and  the  settlement  to  have  acquired 
a  firm  footing.  The  records  assume  a  new  form, 
and  become  more  numerous  and  town-like.— 
"Capt.  Brattle,  Capt.  Parker,  Mr.  Tinge,  Sar- 
geant  John  Cummings,  and  Robert  Parris  were 
chose  Selectmen."  Provision  was  made  for  the 
collection  of  taxes,  by  ordering  that  the  allotments 
of  such  as  neglect  or  refuse  to  pay  their  taxes, 
should  "  be  sould  at  an  outcry  on  the  next  public 
meeting  day  after  such  neglect  or  refus."  Even 
at  this  early  day  there  were  some,  to  whom  "  re- 
ligion was  as  twelve  and  the  world  as  thirteen," 
or  even  more.  Trespasses  were  committed  upon 
the  common  lands,  and  the  town  found  it  necessa- 
ry to  order  that  "every  man  that  felleth  any  wood 
or  tre  in  the  com  on  shall  pay  fiv  shillings  for 
such  offence."  The  cattle,  also,  seem  to  have 
become  equally  unruly,  for  it  was  found  necessa- 
ry to  heighten  their  fences  to  a  "  saffisient  five 
r  aile^or^equ  i  valen  t . " 

(1.)  .Farmer's  Genealogical 
debted  in  this  way. 

a 


46  HISTORY    OF 


May  8,  1682,  "  at  a  selectmen's  meeting,  it  was 
ordered  that  the  hogs  of  Dunstable  of  three  months 
ould  and  upward,  be  soficiently  yoked  and  rung 
at  or  before  the  twentieth  of  the  present  month, 
and  John  Ackers  be  appointed  and  Imployed  to 
pound,  youke  and  Ringe  such  hogs;  and  for  so  do- 
ing it  is  ordered  that  the  owner  of  every  such  hog 
*shal  pay  to  the  said  Swinyard  twelv  penc,  and 
John  Acres  is  appointed  HOGE  CONSTABLE  tose  this 
order  exsicuted."  So  early  was  the  necessity  for 
this  ancient  and  respectable  office  recognized  by 
our  wise  forefathers,  and  the  trust  committed  to 
one  who  was  qualified  to  "  EXSICUTE"  it. 

August  28,  1682,  "  Mine  Islands"  were  laid 
out  to  Hezekiah  Usher.  (1.)  The  islands  at  the 
foot  of  "Mine  Falls"  had  acquired  this  name 
already,  on  account  of  mines  which  were  sup- 
posed to  exist  there.  The  rumor  was  that  they 
had  been  long  worked  by  the  Indians,  who  ob- 
tained from  them  their  supply  of  lead.  The  banks 
of  the  Nashua,  Souhegan  and  the  Merrimac  had 
been  carefully  explored,  and  "Mr.  Baden,  an  in- 
genious mirier  and  assayer,  was  sent  over  to 
New  England  for  this  purpose.  Lead  ore  was 
found,  but  not  plenty,  and  so  intermixed  with 
rock  and  spar  as  to  be  not  worth  working."  (2.) 

Usher  was  an  original  proprietor,  a  man  of 
wealth  and  enterprize,  and  uncle  of  John  Usher, 
Lieutenant  Governor  of  New  Hampshire  in  1692, 
He  seems  to  have  been  a  speculator,  and  to  have 
imbibed  the  extravagant  ideas  then  prevalent 

(I.)  Usher  was  somewhat  of  a  wih  The  converted  Indians  were 
commonly  called  •' praying  Indians,"  but  Usher,  having  heard  of 
some  outrage  said  to  have  been  committed  by  them,  called  them 
"preying  Indians." 

In  1633,  he  was  hunting  for  mines,  in  Deerfield. — Mass.  Records, 
4635,  page  485. 

(2.)  2  Doug-lass'  Summary,  108.  5  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  88.  Lead 
ore,  containing  a  minute  proportion  of  silver,  has  been  discovered 
at  Mine  Falls  by  Dr.  Jackson,  in  his  geological  survey  of  the  State. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  47 

among  that  class  of  emigrants,  respecting  the 
great  mineral  wealth  of  New  England.  They 
had  read  of  Mexico  and  Peru.  They  had  listen- 
ed to  the  Indians  as  they  told  of  "  the  Great  Car- 
buncle," which  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  beholder, 
upon  the  summit  of  the  White  or  "  Crystal  Hills," 
where  no  human  foot  had  ever  trodden  or  dared 
to  tread,  and  the  Great  Spirit  had  his  home.  Vis- 
ions of  gold  and  silver,  lying  hidden  in  the  bow- 
els of  the  hills  in  untold  quantities^  floated  be- 
fore their  distempered  fancies  by  night  and  by 
day.  Every  sparkling  rock,  every  discolored 
spot  of  earth  was  to  them  an  El  Dorado,  and  such, 
without  doubt,  were  our  own  Mine  Islands  in  the 
eyes  of  Usher. 

He  made  excavations  there,  and  found  lead  and 
iron,  it  is  said,  in  small  quantities,  but  the  enter- 
prise proved  a  profitless  one,  and  was  abandoned. 
This  was  probably  not  long  after  they  were  grant- 
ed to  him.  as  AVC  find  that  May  15,  1686,  Mason. 
the  proprietor  of  New  Hampshire,  "  farmed  out 
to  Hez.  Usher,  and  his  Heirs  all  ilie  mines,  min- 
•erals.  and  ores  within  the  limits  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, for  the  term  of  one  thousand  years,  reserv- 
ing to  himself  one  fourth  of  the  royal  ores,  and 
one  seventeenth  of  all  the  baser  metals.  "(1.)  Of 
such  a  character  and  extent,  however,  were  his 
explorations  at  these  islands,  that  they  were  fa- 
miliarly called  "  the  Mines"  in  all  letters,  re- 
cords, and  journals  of  scouting  parties  for  half  a 
century  afterwards.  (2.) 

Although  this  was  a  period  of  peace,  and  the 
Indians  were  committing  no  depredations,  there 
was  danger  from  roving  and  lawless  parties,  and 

(1.)  1  Belknap  116.  Royal  ores  -were  gold  and  silver.  These 
were  reserved  to  the  Crown. 

(2.)  See  original  journals  of  Fairbanks,  Blanchard,  and  others, 
1700  to  1725  in  "  Journals  of  ,  Scouts."  Mass.  Records. 


a 


===« 

48  HISTORY    OF 

a  small  mounted  guard  was  deemed  expedient. 
Daniel  Waldo  and  John  Waldo  were  employed 
for  this  purpose.  (1.) 

Dec.  3,  1682,  the  town  "  let  out  to  goodrnan 
Akers  to  cut  ten  cords  of  wood  for  two  shillings  a 
cord,  country  pay,  and  Sargt.  Cummin gs  is  to  cart 
the  same  for  two  shillings  a  cord,  same  paye." 
This  was  probably  for  the  minister,  Mr,  Weld,  who 
was  married  not  long  previous,  and  from  it  we 
may  learn  something  of  prices  in  those  days. — 
Corn  was  worth  about  two  shillings  per  bushel  in 
1683,  and  the  relative  price  of  labor  and  provis- 
ions was  nearly  the  same  as  at  present. 

At  the  same  time  a  committee  was  appointed, 
consisting  of  John  Parker,  Robert  Paris,  and  John 
Lollendine,  to  l:  lay  out  a  Highway  from  Groton 
Meeting  House  to  Dunstable  Meeting  House." 
The  main  river  road,  down  the  Merrimac,  had 
been  laid  out  long  previously,  and  bridges  built 
over  the  small  streams.  This  road  passed  east- 
erly of  the  present  road,  crossing  Salmon  brook  at 
the  bridge  near  Miss  Allds'  house  ;  thence  run- 
ning northerly  near  the  old  Allds'  road  below 
Judge  Parker's  house,  and  crossing  the  Nashua 
at  a  ford  way  near  its  mouthy  not  far  from  the 
Concord  railroad  bridge. 

The  Proprietorship  of  the  Township  was  di- 
vided into  "thirty  acre  rights,"  as  they  were 
termed,  or  house  lots  of  that  size,  with  the  privi- 
lege of  an  equal  share  in  all  subsequent  divisions 
of  the  common  lands  in  the  township.  Of  these 
there  were  about  eighty,  and  the  proportion  of 
each  such  right  was  about  six  hundred  acres. — 
The  market  value  of  these  lands  at  this  period 
may  be  estimated  from  the  fact,  that  the  proprie- 

(1.)  They  were  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and  sons  ofDea.  Corne- 
lius Waldo,  the  aneestor  of  neariy  all  the  Waldos  in  New  England. 
farmer's  Gtnealog-ical  Register. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C.  49 

tors,  being  indebted  to  Mr.  Tyng  in  the  sum  of 
£23,  (about  $75.00,)  they  gave  him  three  "  thir- 
ty acre  rights,"  or  about  1800  acres,  in  full  dis- 
charge of  his  claim. (1.) 

Of  these  proprietors,  according  to  a  certificate 
of  the  selectmen  dated  November  30,  1682,  twen- 
ty-one persons  resided  out  of  town,  in  Boston, 
Salem.  Marblehead,  Cambridge,  and  Chelmsford, 
and  fourteen  in  Dunstable  ;  viz.  "  Jona.  Tyng, 
widow  Mary  Tyng,  John  Cumrnings,  senior, 
Thomas  Cummings,  John  Blanchard,  Abraham 
Parker,  Joseph  Wright,  Samuel  Warner,  Joseph 
Parker;  senior,.  John  Lollendine,  Obadiah  Perry, 
Thomas  Lund,  Joseph  Hassell,  and  John  Acres." 
Most  of  the  inhabitants  were  not  proprietors. 

Oct.  9,  1682,  "a  20  acre  right"  was  granted  to 
Rev.  Mr.  Weld  as  an  additional  encouragement 
to  the  ministry.  At  the  same  time  a  tax  was  im- 
posed of  "  twenty  shillings  in  rnony  "  upon  ev- 
ery 30  acre  right,  "toward  the  building  of  a  meet- 
ing house,  which  is  to  be  built  within  one  year 
after  the  date  hereof,  according  to  the  dimensions 
of  the  meeting-house  at  Groton."  A  committee 
was  chosen,  also,  to  collect  contributions  for  this 
purpose  "of  such  as  have  ffarmes  within  the 
town,"  and  "  to  agree  with  a  purson  or  pursons 
for  the  doing  of  said  work/'  This  meeting  house, 
the  second  in  town,  was  built  probably  in  1683, 
of  a  larger  size  and  better  finish,  to  accommodate 
the  increasing  wants  of  tho  inhabitants,  and  must 
have  cost  three  or  four  hundred  dollars. 

"  Money,"  as  specie  was  called  at  that  day, 
was  difficult  to  be  obtained  as  in  all  new  settle- 
ments, and  possessed  a  comparative  value  far  su- 
perior to  that  of  produce  or  "  country  pay."  It 
is  recorded  that  "  Mr.  Weld  is  not  willing  to  ac- 

(1.)  These  rights  include  the  greater  part  of  the  town  of  Tyngs- 
borough,  and  are  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family. 


r 


50  HISTORY    OF 


cept  of  one  third  advance  from  those  that  pay  him 
in  money  as  proposed,  but  accepts  to  have  double 
the  sum  of  such  as  pay  not  in  money?' 

"  In  1683,  Major  Bulkley,  (Hon.  Peter  Bulkley 
of  Concord,  one  of  of  the  Council,)  Capt.  Hntch- 
inson,  Mr.  Tinge,  Jno.  Blanchard,  Sargeant  Cum- 
min gs,  and  Robert  Parris  were  chosen  selectmen 
for  the  year  ensuinge.  John  Lollendine  was 
chosen  constable,  Christopher  Temple  and  Andro 
Cooke  war  chosen  veioers  offenses.  Sam'l  War- 
ner and  John  Cummings  war  choes  Servaires  of 
Hyways." 

The  taxes  upon  each  "  30  acre  right  '•'  for  the 
four  years  together,  from  1679  to  1683.  were 
about  36  shillings. 

John  Cummings  seems  to  have  been  town  clerk 
for  many  years  previous  to  1700,  although  there 
is  no  record  of  any  choice.  For  several  years  af- 
ter 1683  the  town  officers  were  nearly  the  same 
as  in  the  years  preceding,  whose  names  have 
been  recorded.  Many  of  their  posterity  still 
dwell  here,  and  it  was  thought  it  might  not  be 
uninteresting  to  know  who  in  its  days  of  weak- 
ness and  peril  and  suffering  were  the  "  fathers  of 
the  town." 

We  have  seen  how  "  zealously  affected  "  the 
proprietors  of  Duustable  were  to\vard  building  a 
meeting  house  and  settling  a  minister  in  1677.— 
Religious  motives,  however,  were  not  the  only 
ones  which  actuated  them,  since  their  pecuniary 
interests  were  benefited  thereby.  By  an  agree- 
ment dated  May  21,  1684,  setting  forth  their  de- 
sire for  the  "  increase  and  flourishing  of  said  plan- 
tation, one  chief  means  whereof ,  tinder  God,  is 
the  settling  a  pious  and  able  minister  thereof," 
they  therefore  bound  themselves  to  pay  15s.  an- 
nually on  each  30  acre  right  for  this  purpose,  till 
the  inhabitants  can  pay  £50  per  annum. 

—          _.   _  -  — — . — — — — —    -  ~L  -        ------  —  • — • *ft 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  51 

In  the  summer  of  1685  the  inhabitants  were 
thrown  into  a  new  alarm  by  the  suspicious  move- 
ments of  the  Penacook  Indians,  and  many  retired 
to  the  garrisons.  The  alarm  was  soon,  however, 
discovered  to  be  unnecessary,  the  Penacooks 
themselves  fearing  an  attack  from  the  Mohawks, 
and  taking  precautions  against  it.(l.)  Such  was 
the  life  of  the  early  settler  even  in  time  of  peace. 
The  inhabitants  generally  lived  in  garrisons  or 
fortified  houses,  and  scouts  were  abroad  constant- 
ly to  detect  the  approach  of  the  lurking  foe.  The 
farmer  tilled  his  fields  with  his  arms  ready  for 
self  defence,  and  as  the  lonely  wife  heard  the  fre- 
quent story  of  massacre  and  captivity,  her  ear 
detected,  with  trembling  apprehension,  in  ev- 
ery unusual  sound,  the  footsteps  of  the  "  In- 
dian enemy." 

THE  PILGRIM'S  VISION. 

BY      OLIVER     WENDELL      HOLMES. 

[Recited  at  the  Pilgrim  Dinner  at  Plymouth,  Dec.  22,  1845.] 

In  the  hour  of  twilight  shadows, 

The  Puritan  looked  out — 
He  thought  of  the  "bloudy  Salvages" 

That  lurked  all  round  about, 
Of  Wituwawmet's  pictured  knife 

And  Pecksuot's  whooping  shout — 
For  the  baby's  flesh  was  tender, 

Though  iiis  father's  arms  were  stout. 

His  home  was  a  freee'ing  cabin, 

Too  bare  for  the  hungry  rat, 
Its  roof  was  thatched  with  ragged  grass. 

And  bald  enough  of  that ; 
The  hole  that  served  for  casement 

Was  glazed  with  an  ancient  hat. 
And  the  ice  was  gently  thawing 

From  the  log  whereon  he  saU 

Along  the  dreary  landscape 
His  eyes  went  to  and  fro, 


52  HISTORY    OF 

The  trees  all  clad  in  icicles, 

The  streams  that  did  not  flow — 

A  sudden  thought  Sashed  o'er  him— 
A  dream  of  long  ago — 

He  smote  his  leathern  jerkin 
And  murmured,  "Even  so!" 

"Come  hither,  God-be-Glorified, 

And  sit  upon  my  knee, 
Behold  the  dream  unfolding. 

Whereof  I  spake  to  thec 
By  the  winters  hearth  in  LeycJc." 

And  on  the  stormy  sea — 
True  is  the  dream's  beginning — 

So  may  its  ending  he  ' 

"  I  saw  in  the  naked  forest 

Our  scattered  remnant  cast. 
A  screen  of  shivering  branches 

Between  them  and  the  blast  : 
The  snow  was  falling  round  them, 

The  dying  fell  as  last ; 
I  looked  to  see  them  perish, 

When  lo  !  the  vision  passed. 

"Again  mine  eyes  were  opened. 

The  feeble  had  waxed  strong: 
The  babes  had  grown  to  sturdy  men. 

The  remnant  was  a  throng ; 
By  shadowed  lake  and  wind'iig  stream, 

And  all  the  shores  along, 
The  howling  demons  quaked  to  hear 

The  Christian's  godly  song. 

"  They  slept — the  village  fathers— 

By  river,  lake  and  shore. 
When  far  adcnvn  the  steep  of  time 

The  vision  rose  once  more  ; 
I  saw  along  the  winter  sno\< 

A  spectral  column  pour, 
And  high  above  their  broken  ranu- 

A  tattered  flag  they  bore 

"Their Leader  rode  before  tln-i, 

Of  bearing  calm  and  high. 
The  light  of  Heaven's  own  kindlinu 
^  Throned  in  his  awful  eye; 

These  were  a  Nation's  champions 


!W* *  P 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE.  &C.  53      j 

. — . — , . _ * . — i .       i 

Her  dread  appeal  to  try  5 
God  for  the  right!  Haltered, 
And  lo  !  the  train  passed  by, 

"  Once  more — the  strife  was  ended. 

The  solemn  issue  tried, 
The  Lord  of  Hosts,  his  mighty  arm 

Had  helped  our  Israel's  side. 
Gray  stone  and  grassy  hillock 

Told  where  her  martyrs  died, 
And  peace  was  in  her  borders 

Of  Victory's  chosen  bride. 

"  A  crash— as  when  some  swollen  cloud 

Cracks  o'er  the  tangled  trees  ! 
With  side  to  side,  and  spar  to  spar. 

NVhoae  smoking  d^cks  are  these  ?' 
J  know  Saint  George's  blood-red  crOs?. 

Thou  Mistress  of  the  Sens. 
But  what  is  she  whose  streaming  fours 

Roll  out  before  the  breeze  : 

"  Ah.  well  her  iron  ribs  are  knit, 

Whose  thunders  try  to  quell 
The  bellowing  throats,  the  blazing  lips 

That  pealed  the  Armada's  knell  ! 
The  mist  was  cleared — a  wreath  of  stars 

Rose  o'er  the  crimsoned  swell, 
And  wavering  from  its  haughty  peak. 

Th«  cross  of  England  fell  ! 

"  O,  trembling  Faith  !  though  dark  the  morn. 

A  heavenly  torch  is  thine  ; 
While  feebler  races  meltuwa}. 

And  paler  orbs  decline, 
Stiil  shall  the  fiery  pillar's  ruy 

Along  thy  pathway  shine, 
To  light  the  chosen  tribe  that  sought 

This  Western  Palestine ! 

"  I  see  the  living  tide  roll  on, 

It  crowns  with  flaming  towers 
The  icy  capes  of  Labrador. 

The  Spaniard's  'land  of  flowers!' 
It  streams  beyond  the  splintered  ridge 

That  parts  the  Northern  showers. 
From  eastern  rock  to  sunset  wave 

The  Continent  Is  ours  !" 


54  HISTORY  OF 


He  ceased— tie  grim  old  Puritan- 
Then  softly  bent  to  cheer 

The  pilgrim-child  whose  wasting  faCe 
Was  meekly  turned  to  hear : 

And  drew  his  toil  worn  sleeve  across, 
To  brush  the  manly  tear 

From  cheeks  that  never  changed  in  wo? 
And  never  blanched  in  feai\ 

The  weary  pilgrim  slumbers, 

tiis  reciting  place  unknown  ; 
His  hands  were  crossed,  his  lids  were  closed; 

The  dust  was  o'er  him  strown, 
The  drifting  soil,  the  mouldering  leaf, 

Along  the  sod  were  blown, 
His  mound  has  melted  into  earth. 

Hi.-  memory  lives  alone, 

So  let  it  live  unfading, 

The  memory  of  the  dead, 
Long  as  the  pale  anemone 

Springs  where  their  tears  were  shed, 
Or  raining  in  the  summer's  wind 

In  flakes  of  burning  red, 
The  wild  rose  sprinkles  with  its  leaves 

The  turf  where  once  they  bled  ! 

Yea  when  the  frowning  bulwarks 

That  guard  this  holy  strand 
Have  sunk  beneath  the  trampling 

In  beds  of  sparkling  sand, 
While  in  the  waste  of  ocean, 

One  hoary  rock  shall  stand, 
Be  this  its  latest  legend — 

HERE  WAS  THE  PILORIM'S  LAND! 


CHAPTER  IV. 


HISTORY  FROM  1685  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  REV. 
MR.  WELD  IN  1702. 

UP  to  this  period  Mr.  Weld  had  been  preaching 
here  but  had  never  been  ordained.  In  1684,  how- 
ever, a  new  meeting  house  was  erected,  and  hav- 
ing consented  to  settle,  he  was  ordained,  Decem- 
ber 16.  1685.  At  the  same  time  a  church  was 
formed,  consisting  of  seven  male  members,  viz. 
Jonathan  Tyng,  John  Cummings,  senior,  John 
Blanchard,  Cornelius  Waldo,  Samuel  Warner. 
Obadiah  Perry,  and  Samuel  French.  John 
Blanchard  and  Cornelius  Waldo  were  chosen  the 
iirst  Deacons. 

The  following  is  the  Covenant  which  was 
adopted  in  the  neighboring  churches  at  that  pe- 
riod, and  which  undoubtedly  was  adopted  here. 
It  is  substantially  the  same  as  that  which  was 
framed  for  the  First  Church  in  Salem,  by  the 
associated  Churches  of  the  Colony,  in  1629,  and 
promulgated  by  the  General  Assembly  in  1680. 
for  the  use  of  the  Colon y.(l.) 

"  We  covenant  with  our  Lord  and  with  one  another,  and 
\ve  do  hind  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  God,  to  walk  to- 
gether in  all  his  ways  according  as  he  is  pleased  to  reveal 
himself  unto  us,  in  his  blessed  word  of  truth,  and  do  ex- 
plicitly profess  to  walk  as  followeth,  through  the  power 
and  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

(1.)  Mass.  Assembly  Records,  1680,  page  2S1 .  Allen's  C'helms- 
ford,  103. 


-'* 


56  HISTORY    OF 


"  We  avouch  the  Lord  to  be  our  God,  and  ourselves  to 
be  his  people  in  the  truth  and  simplicity  of  our  spirits. 

"  We  give  ourselves  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
word  of  his  grace  for  teaching,  ruling  and  sanctifying  of  us 
in  matters  of  worship  and  conversation,  resolving  to  cleave 
unto  him  alone  for  life  and  glory,  and  to  reject  all  contrary 
ways,  canons,  and  constitutions  of  men  in  his  worship. 

"  We  promise  to  walk  with  our  brethren  with  all  watch- 
fulness and  tenderness,  avoiding  jealousies,  suspicions, 
backbitings,  censurings,  provocations,  secret  risings  of 
spirit  against  them ;  but  in  all  cases  to  follow  the  rule  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  bear  and  forbear,  to  give  and  for- 
give, as  he  hath  taught  us. 

"  In  public  or  in  private  we  will  willingly  do  nothing  to 
the  offence  of  the  church;  but  will  be  willing  to  lake  ad- 
vice for  ourselves  and  ours  as  occasion  may  be  presented. 

"  We  will  not  in  the  congregation  be  forward  either  to 
shew  onr  own  gifts  and  parts  in  speaking,  or  scrupling,  or 
there  discover  the  weakness  and  failings  of  our  brethren, 
but  attend  an  orderly  call  thereto,  knowing  how  much  the 
Lord  may  be  dishonored,  and  his  Gospel  and  the  profes- 
sion of  it  slighted,  by  our  distempers  and  weakness  in 
public. 

"  We  bind  ourselves  to  study  the  advancement  of  the 
Gospel  in  all  truth  and  peace,  both  in  regard  to  those  that 
are  within  and  without ;  no  ways  slighting  our  sister  chiiK- 
ches,  but  using  their  counsels  as  need  shall  be  ;  not  laying 
a  stumbling  block  before  any,  no,  not  the  Indians,  whose 
good  we  desire  to  promote  ;  anil  so  to  converse  that  we 
may  avoid  the  very  appearance  of  evil. 

"  We  do  hereby  promise  to  carry  ourselves  in  all  lawful 
obedience  to  those  that  are  over  us  in  Church  or  Common- 
wealth, knowing  how  well  pleasing  it  will  be  to  the  Lord, 
that  they  should  have  encouragement  in  their  places,  by 
our  not  grieving  their  spirits  through  our  irregularities. 

"  We  resolve  to  approve  ourselves  to  the  Lord  in  our 
particular  callings,  shunning  idleness  as  the  bane  of  any 
State,  nor  will  we  deal  hardly  or  oppressively  with  any, 
wherein  we  are  the  Lord's  stewards. 

"  Promising  also  unto  our  best  ability  to  teach  our  chil- 
dren the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  his  holy  will,  that  thry 
may  serve  him  also  ;  and  all  this  not  by  any  strength  of  our 
own,  but  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whose  blood  wo  desire 
may  sprinkle  this  our  Covenant  made  in  his  nnrne." 

At  this  date  there  were  but  four  churches  and 
four  ministers  within  the  present  limits  of  New 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  57 


Hampshire. (1.)  It  was  during  this  year  that 
Cranfield,  the  royal  Governor  of  this  State,  is- 
sued his  arbitrary  decree  against  the  Congrega- 
tional Clergy,  ordering  their  "dues  to  be  with- 
held," and  threatening  them  "  with  six  months' 
imprisonment  for  not  administering  the  sacra- 
ments according  to  the  Church  of  England." — 
But  this  decree  did  not  affect  Dunstable,  which 
was  still  supposed  to  lie  within  the  bounds  of 
Massachusetts. 

In  1686  the  Indians  at  Wamesit  and  Naticook 
sold  all  the  lands  within  the  limits  of  Dunstable 
to  Jonathan  Tyng  and  others,  together  with  all 
their  possessions  in  this  neighborhood,  and  nearly 
all  of  them  removed  from  the  vicinity. (2.)  How 
much  was  paid  for  this  purchase  of  Dunstable,  or 
rather  release  of  their  claims,  is  unknown,  but 
probably  about  £20,  as  we  find  that  this  sum  was 
assessed  upon  the  proprietors  soon  after,  for  the 
purpose  of  "  paying  for  lands  bought  of  the  In- 
dians."(3.) 

In  1687  the  town  raised  £1  12s.  3d.  towards 
our  proportion  of  the  expense  of  "building  the 
great  bridge  "  over  the  Concord  river  in  Billerica. 
This  was  done  by  order  of  the  General  Assembly, 
and  for  many  years  afterwards,  it  was  rebuilt 
and  kept  in  repair  from  time  to  time,  as  occasion 
required,  by  the  joint  contributions  of  Dunstable, 
Dracut,  Groton,  Chelmsford,  and  Billerica,  the 
towns  more  immediately  benefited. 

May  21,  1688,  "  Samuel  Goold  is  chosen  DOG 

WHIPPER    FOR    THE    MEETING    HOUSE."        What    WCTC 

the  duties  of  this  functionary  we  are  not  inform- 

(1.)  Portsmouth,  Dover,  Exeter,  and  Hampton,  all  organized  in 

(2.)  Allen's  Chelmsford,  151.     1  Belknap. 
(3.)  Proprietary  Records  of  Dunstable. 


58  HISTORY    OF 


ed,  except  so  far  as  is  implied  in  the  name.  (1.) 
It  stands  alone  without  precedent  or  imitation. 
The  choice  is  recorded  with  all  gravity,  among 
other  dignitaries  of  the  town,  and  the  office  was 
doubtless  in  those  days  a  serious  and  real  one, 
and  no  sinecure,  unless  we  suspect  our  grave 
forefathers  of  a  practical  joke. 

In  1688  occurred  the  revolution  in  England 
which  in  December  drove  James  II.  from  the 
throne  and  kingdom,  and  abolished  forever  the 
Catholic  supremacy  in  that  country,  tt  was  fol- 
lowed immediately  by  a  revolution  in  New  Eng- 
land. Sir  Edmund  Andros,  the  royal  Governor, 
who  had  become  exceedingly  unpopular  by  his 
arbitrary  measures,  was  deposed,  and  a  popular 
government  instituted  upon  the  basis  of  the  an- 
cient charters.  This  was  done  even  before  the 
news  of  the  revolution  in  England  had  reached 
Boston. 

The  different  towns  in  the  colony  were  invited 
to  choose  delegates  to  meet  in  convention  at  Bos- 
ton, and  assume  the  government.  This  conven- 
tion met  accordingly  in  May,  1689,  almost  every 
town  being  represented.  Dunstable  was  among 
the  number.  In  May,  1689,  John  Waldo  was  a 
delegate  from  this  town :  in  June,  1689,  Corne- 
lius Waldo;  and  in  December,  1689,  Robert Par- 
ris.(2.)  This  was  a  popular  assertion  of  "ina- 
lienable rights,"  and  a  foreboding  and  precedent 
of  the  revolution  of  1776, 

But  the  settlement  was  not  destined  to  be  al- 
ways so  fortunate  as  it  had  been  during  the  pre- 
ceding years.  There  had  been  occasional  alarms 

(1.)  That  such  an  officer  was  a  necessary  one  we  may  infer  from 
the  fact,  that  in  Beverly  a  fine  of  sixpence  was  imposed  on  every 
person  whose  dog  came  into  the  Meeting  house  during  divine  ser- 
vice. Stone's  History  of  Beverly. 

(2.)  Mass.  Records,  l<JS3,page  81,  89. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


, 


and  trifling  injuries,  indeed,  but  it  was  compara- 
tively a  season  of  peace  and  quiet.  Tn  1689,  the 
war  with  the  French,  known  as  King  Wil- 
liam's War,  broke  out  between  France  and  Eng- 
land. It  was  occasioned  by  the  Revolution,  of 
which  we  have  just  spoken,  (the  French  taking 
up  arms  for  King  James,)  and  lasted  until 
1698.  (1.)  The  French  excited,  by  means  of  the 
Jesuits,  nearly  all  the  Indian  tribes  to  arm 
against  the  English,  and  the  history  of  the  fron- 
tier during  this  period,  the  darkest  and  bloodiest 
in  our  annals,  is  but  a  succession  of  devastations 
and  massacres.  In  these  bloody  scenes  the  Pen- 
acooks  were  not  idle.  Almost  every  settlement 
upon  the  frontiers  was  attacked,  some  of  them 
repeatedly:  and  several  hundred  men,  women  and 
children  were  either  killed  or  carried  into  captiv- 
ity. 

The  war  was  commenced  by  an  attack  upon 
Dover,  June  28,  1689,  in  which  Major  Waldron 
and  more  than  fifty  others  were  killed  or  taken 
prisoners.  (2.)  It  was  a  perfect  surprise,  as  no 
warning  of  hostility  had  been  given.  An  attack 
upon  Dunstable,  by  the  same  party  and  at  the 
same  time,  was  plotted,  but  it  was  providentially 
discovered  by  two  friendly  Indians,  who  inform- 
ed Major  Henchman,  the  commander  of  the  fort 
at  Pawtucket  falls,  of  their  intention.  He  arous- 
ed the  settlement  at  once  to  a  sense  of  their  immi- 
nent danger,  by  the  fearful  news;  "Julimatt 
fears  that  his  chief  will  quickly  be  done  at  Dun- 
stable."  (3.) 

"  Quickly  !"  How  little  do  we  appreciate  the 
startling  import  of  such  a  message  !  With  a  foe 
to  deal  with  who  gave  no  alarm,  even  then  the 
warning  might  be  too  late.  Even  then  the  attack 


(.) 

(2.)    1  Belknap,  129. 
(3.)  1  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  223. 


60  HISTORY    OF 


might  be  planned  and  the  ambuscade  laid.  But 
Providence  watched  over  them. 

The  inhabitants  retired  to  the  garrisons  which 
were  fortified,  and  preparations  for  defence  were 
made.  A  messenger  was  also  despatched  to  warn 
Major  Waldron  of  his  danger,  but  he  was  detain- 
ed on  the  way  and  did  not  arrive  until  after  the 
massacre. 

In  consequence  of  this  news,  the  Assembly 
ordered  two  parties  of  mounted  troopers,  consist- 
ing of  twenty  men  each,  to  Dunstable  and  Lan- 
caster, "  for  the  relief  and  succor  of  those  places, 
and  to  scout  about  the  heads  of  those  towns  and 
other  places  adjacent,  to  discover  the  enemies' 
motions,  and  to  take,  surprise,  or  destroy  them  as 
they  shall  have  opportunity."  (1.)  July,  5,  1689, 
another  company  of  50  men  was  sent  to  Dunsta- 
ble and  Lancaster  as  a  reinforcement,  and  twen- 
ty men  to  Major  Henchman  at  Pawtucket,  as  a 
guard  for  the  settlers. 

The  timely  warning  to  Maj.  Henchman  proba- 
bly saved  the  settlement  from  a  fate  similar  to 
that  of  the  unfortunate  Waldrou,  for  in  another 
letter  of  Maj.  Henchman  to  the  Governor  and 
Council,  dated  July  12,  1689,  (2)  he  says,  after 
mentioning  {:the  great  and  imminent  danger  we 
are  in  (at  Chelmsford,)  upon  account  of  the  ene- 
my, the  town  being  threatened  the  next  week  to 
be  assaulted."  "And  also  at  Dunstable,  on 
Thursday  night  last  towards  morning,  appeared 
within  view  of  Mr.  Waldo's  garrison  four  Indi- 
ans, who  showed  themselves  as  spies,  and  it  is 
judged,  (though  not  visible)  that  all  the  garrisons 
in  said  town  were  viewed  by  the  enemy ;  and 
that  by  reason  thereof  their  cattle  and  other  crea- 
tures were  put  into  a  strange  affright. 

(1)  Allen's  Chelmsford,  149. 

(2)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1689,  page  56. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  tcC.  61 

"  Wherefore,  Honorable  and  Worshipful,  I 
judge  it  highly  needful  and  necessary  that  we 
have  relief,  and  that  speedily  of  about  twenty  men 
or  more  for  the  repulsing  the  enemy  and  guard- 
ing some  out  places,  which  are  considerable  on 
each  side  Merrirnac,  as  Messrs.  Howard,  Var- 
num,  Coburn,  &c.  (1)  who  must  otherwise  come 
in  to  us,  and  leave  what  they  have  to  the  enemy, 
or  be  exposed  to  the  merciless  cruelty  of  bloody 
and  barbarous  men.  I  have  ordered  of  those 
troops  which  are  made  up  of  towns  which  are  in 
danger,  forty  at  a  time,  to  be  out  upon  scout  until 
the  latter  end  of  next  week,  concerning  whom  I 
think  it  needful  and  necessary  that  they  be  then 
released  to  go  home  to  guard  the  several  towns 
they  belong  to."  But  imminent  as  was  the  dan- 
ger it  passed  away  without  attack,  the  Fort  at 
Pawtucket  Falls,  the  mounted  scouts,  the  garri- 
sons, the  precautions  of  the  settlers,  baffling  all 
the  wiles  of  the  savages. 

In  1690  Christopher  Reed  was  chosen  Ty- 
thingman,  the  earliest  records  of  the  choice  of 
such  an  officer  in  the  town. 

During  this  year  it  is  not  known  that  any  at- 
tack was  made  by  the  Indians  upon  this  town, 
although  they  ravaged  the  settlements  from  Sal- 
mon Falls  to  Amesbury,  burning  a  great  number 
of  houses  ,  and  killing  and  capturing  nearly  two 
hundred  persons.  (2.)  Two  companies  of  scouts, 
consisting  of  seventy  men  each,  under  the  com- 
mand ofCapt.  Thomas  Chandler,  and  Lieut. 
Simon  Davis,  were  ranging  the  wilderness  con- 
stantly for  the  prevention  of  damage  to  the  fron- 

(1.)  Some  of  these  were  in   Dunslahlc,  (now   Tyngstiorough,)  and 
some  in  Ghelmsford. 
(2)  1  Belknap  132,  144.' 

ii a 


62  HISTORY    OF 


tiers.  (1)  But  Nov.  29,  1690  a  truce  was  agreed 
upon  with  them  until  the  first  of  May,  which  was 
strictly  observed,  and  the  inhabitants  passed  the 
winter  in  security. 

In  the  summer  of  1691  the  war  was  renewed, 
and  the  Indian  ravages  recommenced.  Small 
scouting  parties  attacked  many  of  the  neighbor- 
ing settlements.  Like  beasts  of  prey,  they  came 
without  warning,  and  retired  without  detection. 
On  the  evening  of  Sept.  2,  1691,  they  suddenly 
appeared  in  this  town,  and  attacked  the  house  of 
Joseph  Hassell,  senior.  Hassell,  his  wife  Anna 
Hassell,  their  son  Benjamin  Hassell,  and  Mary 
Marks,  daughter  of  Patrick  Marks,  were  slain. !i(2) 
There  is  a  tradition  that  Mary  Marks  was  killed 
between  the  Hollis  road  and  the  canal  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  above  the  Nashua  Corporation. 

They  were  all  buried  upon  the  little  knoll 
where  Hassell's  house  stood,  and  a  rough  stone 
without  inscription  points  out  the  spot.  A  second 
stone  stood  there  until  within  a  few  years,  hav- 
ing been  preserved  for  so  long  a  period  as  raised 
to  the  dead,  but  at  length  falling  into  the  hands 
of  a  new  proprietor,  and  standing  in  the  way  of 
his  plough,  it  was  taken  up  and  thrown  into  the 
cellar  by  their  side  which  is  not  yet  quite  filled  up. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th  Sept.  the  Indians 
made  another  attempt,  and  killed  Obadiah  Perry 
and  Christopher  Temple.  There  is  a  rock  in  the 
channel  of  Nashua  river  now  covered  by  the 
flowage  of  the  water,  about  30  rods  above  the  up- 
per mill  of  the  Nashua  Corporation,  which  was 
called  "Temple's  Rock,"  and  was  reputed  to  be 

(1)  Mass  Military  Records  1690,  page  141. 

(2)  Hassell's  house  stood  on  the   norih  bank  of  Salmon  Brook,  on 
a  small  knoll  just  in  rear  of  Miss  Allds'  house,  where  the  cellar  and 
grave  stones  may  still  be  seen. 


. 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  63 

near  the  spot  of  his  murder.  It  is  said  that  they 
were  also  buried  upon  the  spot  just  described. — 
Perry  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Church,  and 
a  son  in  law  of  Hassell.  All  of  these  are  origi- 
nal settlers,  active,  useful  and  influential  men. and 
all  of  them  town  officers,  chosen  but  a  few  weeks 
previous. 

The  actors  in  those  scenes  have  passed  away 
and  even  tradition  has  been  forgotten.  The  only 
record  which  exists  of  the  circumstances  of  the 
massacre,  is  the  following  scrap,  noted  down  prob- 
ably by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weld,  not  long  after  it  oc- 
curred. 

"Anno  Domini  1691. 

JOSEPH  HASSELL,  senior,  }  were   slain  by  our  Indian 

ANNA  HASSELL,  Iiis  wife,  >  enemies   on    Sept.  2nd  in 

BENJ'.  HASSKLL,  their  son,  }  tlie  evening. 

MARY  MARKS,  the  daughter  of  Patrick  Marks,  was  slain 
by  the  Indians  also  on  Sept.  2nd.  in  the  evening, 

OBADIAH  PERRY  and  CHRISTOPHER  TEMPLE  dyed  by 
the  hand  of  our  Indian  enemies  September  the  twenty 
eighth  day,  in  the  morning," 

At  this  time  there  were  several  garrisons  in 
Dunstable,  and  a  number  of  soldiers  stationed 
there  by  the  colony,  as  appears  by  a  return  of 
their  condition  which  is  as  follows,  "Dunstable 
town,  seven  men  ;  Mr  Tyng's  garrison,  six  men  ; 
Nathaniel  Howard's,  three  men;  Edward  Col- 
burn's,  (probably  at  Holden's  brook)  four  men  ; 
and  at  Sargeant  Varnum's  four  men."  These 
continued  in  the  pay  and  service  of  the  country 
until  Nov.  17  1692,  and  perhaps  still  longer.  (1) 

In  June  1692,  Mr  Jonathan  Tyng  and  Major 
Thomas  Henchman  were  representatives  of  Dun- 
stable.  (2)  With  the  exception  of  the  years 

(\)Mass.  Military  Records,  1692 

(2)  Mass.  Legislative  Records,  1092  page  219. 


64  HISTORY    OF 


1689  and  1692,  no.  other  mention  is  made  of  Rep- 
resentatives from  this  town  for  many  years.  -  At 
this  time  no  one  was  allowed  the  right  of  suffrage 
who  did  not  possess  a  freehold  estate  of  the  val- 
ue of  forty  shillings  per  annum,  or  personal  prop- 
erty of  the  value  of  £  20. 

In  March  1694  a  law  was  enacted  by  the  Gen- 
eral Court,  "that  every  settler  who  deserted  a 
town  for  fear  of  the  Indians,  should  forfeit  all  his 
rights  therein."  So  general  had  the  alarm  become 
that  this  severe  and  unusual  statute  was  neces- 
sary. Yet  neither  the  statute,  nor  the  natural 
courage  of  the  settlers  which  had  never  quailed, 
was  sufficient  to  withstand  the  protracted  and 
incessant  peril  which  menaced  Dunstable,  and  in 
1696  the  Selectmen  affirmed,  that  "near  two 
thirds  of  the  inhabitants  have  removed  them- 
selves with  their  rateable  estates  out  of  the  town. ''' 
The  town,  harassed  and  poor,  prayed  an  abate- 
ment of  £  50,  part  of  their  state  tax,  due  by  those, 
who  had  left  town,  and  this  request  was  granted 
accordingly.  (1)  Troops  were  kept  here  for  the 
protection  of  the  settlers  who  remained,  and  all 
the  garrisons  were  placed  under  the  supervision 
of  Jonathan  Tyng,  who  had  previously  been 
named  in  the  Royal  Charter  as  one  of  the  Royal 
Council  of  the  province. 

In  consequence  of  this  desertion  of  so  large  a 
portion  of  the  inhabitants,  the  support  of  the  min- 
istry became  very  burdensome.  In  June  1696 
the  General  Court  granted  '*'£  30,  for  the  support 
of  the  ministry  at  the  Garrison  in  Dunstable  for 
the  year  ensuing."  (2)  In  June  1697,  £  20  were 

(1)  Mass  Assembly  Records  16SG. 

(2.)  Mass.  Legislative  Records,  463,  562,609. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  65 

allowed,  and  in  1698,  £12   per   annum  for   two 
years  ensuing,  and  for  the  same  purpose. 

In  1696  and  1697.  Wannalancet,  who  had  re- 
turned to  Wamesit,  was  again  placed  under  the 
care  of  Jonathan  Tyng,  and  the  General  Court 
allowed  £20  for  "  keeping  him.:j(l.)  In  June. 
1698.  there  was  a  garrison  of  eight  men  at  Dnn- 
stable,  and  a  scouting  party  of  forty  men,  one 
half  of  whom  were  ordered  to  scout  from  Dun- 
stable  to  Lancaster,  and  the  other  half  from  Dun- 
stable  to  Amesbury,  constantly.(2.) 

The  war  lasted  till  1698,  when  a  treaty  of 
peace  was  concluded  between  France  and  Eng- 
land, at  Ryswick.  Immediately  after,  a  treaty 
was  entered  into  with  the  Indians  at  Casco,  and 
peace  declared,  which  lasted  until  1703.  During 
the  remainder  of  this  war,  there  is  no  authentic 
record  of  any  attack  upon  the  inhabitants,  al- 
though there  were  occasional  alarms.  At  this 
time,  and  for  fifty  years  after  its  settlement,  Dun- 
stable  was  a  frontier  town,  and  during  a  greater 
portion  of  the  time  the  country  was  involved  in 
an  Indian  war.  With  nothing  but  a  dense  wil- 
derness between  the  ''•  barbarous  savages  "  and 
the  inhabitants,  they  were  constantly  exposed  to 
surprise  and  massacre. 

Dunstable  must  have  been  peculiarly  fortunate 
to  have  escaped  scatheless,  while  Dover,  Ports- 
mouth, Exeter,  Durham,  Haverhill,  Andover, 
Billerica,  Lancaster,  and  Groton,  upon  both  sides 
of  us  and  even  in  the  interior,  were  ravaged  al- 
most yearly.  This  is  not  at  all  probable,  and 
though  most  of  the  private  and  local  history  of 
that  day  is  forgotten,  we  find  vague  hints  in  an- 
cient chronicles  and  records,  and  vaguer  tradi- 
tions, nameless  and  dateless,  which  indicate  that 


530 
(2.)   Mass.  Military  Records,  169S. 


66 


HISTORY    OF 


the  story  of  the  first  half  century  of  Dunstable,  if 
fully  told,  xvould  be  a  thrilling  romance. 

It  is  to  the  latter  part  of  this  war  that  we  must 
assign  the  capture  of  Joe  English,  a  friendly  In- 
dian who  resided  at  Dunstable.  He  was  a  grand- 
son of  Masconnomet,  sagamorxof  Agawam,  (Ip- 
swich, Mass.)  and  as  such  possessed  no  small 
note  and  influence.(l.)  "  He  was  much  distin- 
guished," says  Belknap,  "for  his  attachment  to 
the  white  inhabitants.  In  a  preceding  war  (to 
that  of  1703.)  he  had  been  taken  prisoner  in  the 
vicinity  of  Dunstable.  and  carried  to  Canada, 
from  whence,  by  his  shrewdness  and  sagacity,  lie 
effected  his  escape  and  returned  to  his  friends  at 
Dunstable." 

Joe  English  was  quite  a  hero  in  these  regions 
and  in  those  days,  and  a  hill  in  New  Boston,  ve- 
ry abrupt  on  one  side,  and  a  pond  in  Amherst, 
are  still  called  by  his  name.  A  tradition  is  cur- 
rent that  Joe  was  once  pursued  by  an  Indian  on 
this  hill,  and  finding  it  impossible  to  escape  oth- 
erwise, he  allowed  his  pursuer  to  approach  him 
very  closely,  and  then  ran  directly  towards  the 
precipice,  threw  himself  suddenly  down  upon  a 
ledge  with  which  lie  was  familiar,  while  his  pur- 
suer, unable  to  arrest  his  course,  and  unconscious 
of  danger,  was  dashed  in  pieces  at  the  bottom. 
Numerous  other  anecdotes  are  related  of  Joe,  but 
we  will  not  repeat  them,  or  vouch  for  their  truth. 

The  story  of  the  capture  and  escape  of  Joe 
English  is  told  at  greater  length  by  the  compiler 
of  '•  Indian  Anecdotes."  "A  party  of  English 
were  attacked  by  the  Indians  on  Penichuck  brook, 
in  the  north  part  of  Dunstable,  and  were  all  kill- 
ed except  four  persons,  one  of  whom  was  Joe 

(1.)  1  Bclknap,  173,  note. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  67 

English,  a  friendly  Indian,  who  had  rendered  him- 
self peculiarly  serviceable  to  the  English.  Him 
they  took  prisoner  and  sent  to  Canada,  where  he 
pretended  to  be  highly  exasperated  against  the 
white  men,  and  said  he  meant  hereafter  to  be  a 
good  Indian  ;  that  the  whites  had  deceived  him 
and  he  would  not  trust  them  in  future. 

"  After  these  professions  of  fidelity  to  their  in- 
terests, he  told  them  that  if  they  would  let  him 
have  the  command  of  a  party  of  Indians,  he 
would  go  and  surprise  Deerfield,  one  of  the  fron- 
tier towns  of  Massachusetts.  They  accordingly 
furnished  him  with  a  party,  and  he  soon  com- 
menced his  march.  He  also  persuaded  the  In- 
dians to  let  one  of  the  English  prisoners  accom- 
pany him.  On  their  arrival  at  the  mountains 
which  surrounded  Deerfield,Joe  told  them  that  he 
was  afraid  that  they  had  not  provisions  enough 
for  the  expedition,  and  that  previous  to  the  attack 
it  would  be  better  to  hunt  one  day.  To  this  the 
company  assented.  Joe  told  them  they  must  go 
around  the  mountain,  and  drive  the  deer  towards 
where  they  were,  and  that  he  and  the  English- 
man would  remain  where  they  were,  and  kill 
them  as  they  approached. 

t  •'•  Joe  had  purposely  taken  his  station  at  a  place 
where  he  could  reach  the  town,  and  sent  the  In- 
dians afound  the  mountain  so  that  he  knew  he 
should  not  be  interrupted  in  his  attempt  to  join 
the  English.  The  Indians  having  gone  in  pur- 
suance of  his  directions,  he  and  his  comrade  fled 
to  the  settlement  and  apprised  the  inhabitants  of 
Deerfield  of  their  danger.  The  Indians  soon  dis- 
covered the  deception  of  their  commander,  by  the 
firing  of  guns  and  beating  of  drums  which  were 
heard  from  the  town,  and  the  attempt  was  aban- 
doned. 

He  soon  after  returned  to  his  duty  as  a  soldier 


68 


HISTORY  OF 


at  Dnnstable,  in  which  employment  he  took  much 
pleasure,  and  felt  no  little  pride  in  the  perform- 
ance of  it.  The  Indians  of  course  felt  an  invet- 
erate hostility  against  him,  and  determined  upon 
securing  him.  They  therefore  waylaid  all  the 
places  where  they  should  be  likely  to  take  him, 
but  still  he  escaped  their  stratagerns.'?(l.) 

Whether  this  story  be  authentic  or  not  1  cannot 
say ;  "  I  tell  the  tale  as  'twas  told  to  me/'  That 
he  was  captured,  however,  and  that  he  escaped 
from  captivity,  we  do  know,  but  how  or  where 
no  record  discloses.  It  appears  from  a  grant 
made  by  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts, 
June  14,  1698,  to  "Joseph  English  an  Indian  es- 
caping from  French  Captivity,"  that  he  had  just 
returned,  and  the  sum  of  £6  was  allowed  him  as 
a  "recompense  for  his  services"  in  "  giving  in- 
telligence of  the  motions  of  the  enemy  with  in- 
tent to  do  mischief  upon  the  frontiers  at  this 
time."  (2) 

It  was  also  during  this  war,  in  1697,  that  the 
celebrated  Mrs.  Duston  was  captured  at  Haver- 
hill,  and  escaped  by  killing  her  captors,  ten  in 
number,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Contocook  river  in 
Concord,  N.  H.  This  was  considered  as  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  and  heroic  exploits  on  re- 
cord. In  her  lonely  wanderings  down  the  Mer- 
rimac  homeward,  the  first  house  she  reached  was 
that  of  old  John  Lovewell.  father  of  "  worthy 
Capt.  Lovewell,"  which  stood  on  the  north  side 
of  Salmon  brook  a  few  feet  north-east  of  the  Allds 
bridge.  The  cellar  is  still  visible. 

Although  Dnnstable  suffered  little  during  the 

war  from  actual  injuries,  yet  the  continual  expo- 

|   sure  to  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife,  and  the 


fit 


00 
(2.) 


Indian  Anecdotes,  161. 

Mass.  Military  Ifccorde,  1698  Journals,  500. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


69 


frequent  alarms  prevented  its  growth.  Such  was 
its  effect,  indeed,  that  though  as  early  as  1680 
there  were  thirty  families  or  more  in  the  town,  in 
1701  the  number  did  not  exceed  twenty-five  fam- 
ilies^!.) The  settlement  had  more  than  once 
been  nearly  deserted,  and  very  few  improvements 
were  made.  A  saw  mill  had  been  erected  at  the 
earliest  settlement,  and  others  followed  at  "  Mine 
Falls"  and  on  Salmon  brook,  but  no  grist  mill 
had  been  built,  the  inhabitants  resorting  to 
Chelmsford.  In  1695,  Daniel  Waldo  set  up  a 
grist  mill  at  the  mouth  of  Stony  Brook,  several 
miles  down  theMerrimac,  and  was  "to  grind  the 
corn  arid  malt  of  the  inhabitants  of  Chelmsford, 
except  on  the  fourth  day  of  each  week  which  is  ap- 
propriated to  the  use  of  D unstable"  He  agreed 
to  grind  "according  to  turn  as  much  as  may 
be."(2.) 

Oct.  4,  1697,  every  inhabitant  was  ordered  "to 
bring  half  a  cord  of  wood  to  Mr.  Weld  by  the 
first  of  November,  or  forfeit^ye  shillings  for  each 
neglect."  This  was  in  addition  to  his  salary. 

As  silver  was  then  worth  ten  shillings  an  ounce, 
five  shillings  would  be  equal  to  half  an  ounce  of 
silver,  or  50  cents  of  our  currency.  This  would 
make  the  value  of  wood  about  a  dollar  a  cord. 

In  1698  the  town  joined  with  other  towns  in 
rebuilding  IBillerica  bridge,  and  raised  for  that 
purpose  and  other  town  expenses,  £6  7s.  Of 
course  it  could  not  have  been  a  very  splendid  or 
expensive  structure. 

June  29,  1699,  it  was  voted  that  John  Lollen- 
dine  "build  a  sufficient  cross  bridge  over  Salmon 

(1.)   Petition    1701  supra. 
(2.)  Allen's  Chelmsford,  30. 


70  HISTORY    OF 


brook,  near  Mr.  Thos.  Clark's  ffarm  house,  pro- 
vided that  the  cost  thereof  do  not  exceed  the  sum 
o/  FORTY  SHILLINGS."  The  town  was  to  pay  one 
half  and  Mr.  Clark  the  other.  The  bridge  was 
to  be  warranted  "  to  stand  a  twelvemonth,  and  if 
the  water  carry  it  away,  he  is  to  rebuild  it  at  his 
own  cost." 

In  1699  the  "  woodrate  ;J  was  increased,  and 
assessed  according  to  the  ability  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, who  were  required  to  furnish  him  nineteen 
cords.  The  "  minister  rate  "  assessed  upon  the 
proprietors  of  Dunstable,  including  inhabitants, 
was  £17  2s.  2d.  (perhaps  $50.00,)  and  was  prob- 
ably the  amount  of  his  salary. 

It  is  a  singular  and  instructive  fact,  and  one 
that  might  lead  to  useful  reflections,  that  Mr. 
Weld  was  assessed,  like  any  other  inhabitant, 
both  to  the  wood-rate  and  minister's  rate, — to  the 
former  one  cord  and  to  the  latter  eleven  shillings. 
I  had  supposed  that  the  respect  'paid  the  pastor 
in  those  days  was  so  great,  as  to  exempt  him 
from  all  such  burdens,  but  it  seems  that  the  prin- 
ciple of  equality  was  carried  into  rigorous  prac- 
tice. Nor  did  the  "minister"  receive  any  title 
except  that  of  Mr.,  not  even  that  of  Rev.,  for  this 
was  an  "innovation  of  vanity"  upon  puritan 
simplicity,  of  a  much  later  date.  D.  D.  and  S. 
T.  I).,  and  such  like,  are  quite  of  modern  intro- 
duction. It  should  be  remembered,  however, 
that  even  the  title  Mr.  was  not  in  1699  applied 
to  "  common  people." 

The  following  is  a  list  of  all  the  inhabitants 
who  were  heads  of  families  and  contributed  to 
the  woodrate  in  1699.  The  number  of  inhabi- 
tants did  not  probably  exceed  125. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  71 

"Maj.  Jonathan  Tyng,  John  Lollendine, 

Mr.  Thomas  Weld,  Robert  Usher, 

Robert  Parris,  Nath'l  Cummings, 

Nathaniel  Blanchard,  Abraham  Cummings, 

Joseph  Blanchard,  John  Cummings, 

Thomas  Cummings,  John  Lovewell, 

Thomas  Blanchard,  Joseph  Hassell, 

Mr.  Samuel  Searle,  Mr.  Samuel  Whiting. 

Samuel  Ffrench,  William  Harwood, 

Tho's  Limn,  [Lund,]  Daniel  Galeusha." 

In  1700,  the  town  voted  that  they  would 
"  glaze  the  meeting  house"  which  was  done  ac- 
cordingly, at  a  cost  of  £1  Is.  60?.  Probably  it 
had  never  been  glazed  before,  and  from  this  we 
may  learn  the  narrow  means  of  the  settlers,  and 
how  different  were  the  rude  houses  in  which  they 
worshipped  from  the  costly  edifices  which  now 
occupy  their  places.  The  windows  could  have 
been  neither  very  large  nor  very  numerous. 

In  1701,  the  selectmen  of  the  town  prayed  the 
General  Court  for  further  assistance  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  ministry,  and  set  forth,  as  was  custo- 
mary, their  condition  and  sufferings,  at  considera- 
ble length.  As  showing  the  situation  of  the  town 
at  this  period,  and  the  customs  of  the  times,  the 
petition  is  inserted  entire. (1.) 

"  To  his  Majesty's  most  Honorable  Council  and  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  Great  and  General  Court  now  assembler! 
in  Boston  by  adjournment. 

The  Petition  of  the  Selectmen  of  Dunstable  in  behalf  of 
the  inhabitants  there  settled,  Humbly  Sheweth :  —  that 
whereas  the  wise  God,  (who  settleth  the  bounds  of  all  our 
Habitations,)  hath  dis|K>sed  ours,  but  an  handful  of  his  peo- 
ple, not  exceeding  the  number  of  twenty -five  families,  in  an 
'  outside  plantation  of  this  wilderness,  which  was  much  de- 
populated in  the  late  war,  and  two  third  parts  of  them, 


(1.)  Mass.  Ecclesiastical  Records,  1701. 


72 


HISTORY    OF 


though  living  upon  husbandry,  yet  being  but  new  begin- 
ners, and  their  crops  of  grain  much  failing  of  wonted  in- 
crease, are  in  such  low  circumstances,  as  to  be  necessitat- 
ed to  buy  their  bread  corn  out  of  town  for  the  support  of 
their  own  families,  whence  it  comes  to  pass  that  they  are 
capable  of  doing  very  little  or  nothing  towards  the  main- 
tenance of  a  minister  here  settled:  and  our  Non-resident 
Proprietors  being  far  dispersed  asunder,  some  in  England, 
and  some  iu  several  remote  places  of  this  country,  and 
making  no  improvement  of  their  interest  here,  most  of  them 
for  divers  years  past  have  afforded  nothing  of  assistance  to 
us  in  so  pious  a  work  ;  there  having  also  in  some  years 
past  been  some  considerable  allowances  for  our  help  here- 
in out  of  the  Public  Treasury,  (for  which  we  return  our 
thankful  acknowledgments,)  the  continuance  whereof  was 
never  more  needful  than  at  this  time : 

These  things  being  duly  considered  we  think  it  needful 
hereby  to  apply  ourselves  to  your  Honors.  Humbly  to  re- 
quest the  grant  of  such  an  annual  Pension  out  of  the  Coun- 
try Treasury,  for  the  support  of  the  ministry  in  this  place, 
as  to  yourselves  may  seem  most  needful,  until  our  better 
circumstances  may  render  the  same  needless. 

Moreover  having  been  lately  informed,  by  a  Representa- 
tive from  a  neighboring  town,  that  Dunstable's  proportion 
in  the  Country  rate  newly  emitted  was  £6,  coining  from 
the  multiplication  of  20s.  six  times,  but  finding  by  the  print- 
ed paper  lately  come  to  us  that  we,  the  smallest  town  in  the 
Province,  are  assessed  £9,  being  £3  beyond  Stow  which 
we  deem  in  respect  of  the  number  of  inhabitants  may  ex- 
ceed us  at  least  one  third  part:  We  humbly  hereupon  de- 
sire that  the  original  assessment  may  be  revised,  and  if 
there  be  any  mistake  found  in  the  proportion  assigned  to 
us,  (as  we  judge  there  may  be,)  that  it  may  be  rectified ;  and 
we  shall  remain  your  Honors'  Humble  Servants, 
ever  to  pray  for  yon. 

Joseph  Farwell, 
Robert  Parris, 
William  Tyng." 
Dunstable,  July  28,  1701. 

In  answer  to  this  petition  the  sum  of  £12  was 
allowed  from  the  Treasury  in  September,  1701. 

June  9,  1702,  died  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  first 
minister  of  the  town,  aged  50  years.  A  tradition 
has  long  been  current  that  he  was  killed  by  the 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  fcC.  73 

Indians  in  an  attack  upon  his  garrison. (1.)  But 
this  must  be  a  mistake,  for  "In  the  year  1702," 
says  Penhallow,  who  lived  at  this  time  and  wrote 
the  history  of  the  war,  "  the  whole  body  of  the 
Indians  were  in  a  tolerable  good  frame  and  tem- 
per," and  there  is  no  mention  of  any  attack  until 
August,  1703.(2.) 

Mr.  Weld  was  a  native  of  Roxbury,  Mass.,  and 
grandson  of  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  the  first  minister 
of  Roxbury,  who  came  from  England  in  1632, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  among  the 
eminent  men  of  that  day.  He  was  one  of  the 
three  who  made  the  famous  first  "  translation  of 
the  Psalms  into  metre  for  the  use  of  the  churches 
of  New  England,"  which  has  been  the  occasion 
of  no  little  merriment ;  the  translators  being  se- 
lected, not  because  they  possessed  any  poetic  ge- 
nius whatever,  but  because  they  were  the  "  most 
pious  and  godly  men." 

Mr.  Weld  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in 
1671,  and  probably  studied  divinity  with  his  un- 
cle, Rev.  Samuel  Danforth,  a  celebrated  minister, 
and  came  to  Dunstable  in  1678  or  1679.  Nov.  9, 
1681,  he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Rev. 
John  Wilson,  of  Medfield,  son  of  the  first  minis- 
ter of  Boston,  and  both  of  them  very  eminent  men. 
She  died  July  29,  1687,  aged  31,  and  is  buried  in 
the  old  burying  ground  near  the  southerly  line  of 
Nashua,  where  a  large  horizontal  slab  of  granite 
records  her  death.  Some  years  afterwards  he 
married  widow  Hannah  Savage,  daughter  of  Hon. 
Edward  Tyng,  who  was  admitted  an  inhabitant 
in  1677.  She  survived  him  many  years,  and  died 


(1.)  N.  H.  Gazetccr,  Dunstable. 

(2.)  Penkallow's  Indian  War.  1  N.  If.  Hist.  Coll.  20,  23. 


Jtf- 


74 


HISTORY    OF 


at  the  house  of  their  son,  Rev.  Habijah  Weld,  in 
Attleborough,  Mass.,  in  1731. (1.) 

But  little  is  known  respecting  the  character  of 
Mr.  Weld.  He  was  much  beloved  by  his  people, 
and  is  said  by  Farmer  to  have  been  a  distinguish- 
ed man. (2.)  Alden  says  that  Mr.  Weld  "  was 
esteemed  in  his  day  a  man  of  great  piety,  an  ex- 
emplary Christian,  and  a  very  respectable  clergy- 
man."(3.)  He  is  supposed  to  be  the  author  of 
the  verses  in  Mather's  Magnolia,  upon  the  death 
of  his  uncle,  Rev.  Samuel  Danforth,  who  died  in 
1674.(4.)  He  is  buried  beside  his  wife,  and  over 
his  grave  is  a  granite  slab  similar  to  that  of  his 
wife,  but  without  any  inscription. 

(1.)  N.  H.  Historical  Collections,  57 — 64.  Farmer's  Genealogi- 
cal Register.  Alden's  Epitaph:  Dr.  Aldea  was  a  descendant  of  Mr. 
Weld? 

(2.)  Historical  Catechism. 

(3.)  Alden's  Collections,  111. 

(4.)  Mather's  Magnolia 


a. 


CHAPTER  V 


i 


INDIAN  WARS  FROiM  1703  TO  1713. 

In  the  summer  of  1702,  it  was  proposed  by  the 
General  Court  to  build  a  trading  house  for  the 
Indians,  and  a  fortified  garrison  "at  Wataa- 
rtttc&,"(l.)  as  the  settlement  at  Salmon  brook  was 
then  called,  but  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  sea- 
son the  intention  was  not  accomplished. 

Oct.  24,  1702,  Governor  Dudley  informed  the 
House  that  he  was  going  to  Dunstable  on  Mon- 
day, to  meet  several  of  the  Penacook  Indians 
there.  "  who  were  come  down  to  speak  with 
him."  He  was  absent  until  Oct.  29th.,  but  the 
results  of  his  interview,  whatever  they  might  be, 
did  not  allay  the  fears  of  the  General  Court.  Be- 
lieving from  the  movements  of  the  Indians  that 
preparations  for  the  defence  of  the  frontiers  should 
be  made,  they  passed  the  following  order  :  (2.) 

"November  10,  1702,  The  winter  being  too 
far  advanced  for  the  erecting  of  a  trading  house 
for  the  supply  of  the  Indians  at  Penacook,  and 
for  fortifying  the  garrison  at  Wataanuck  in  the 
county  of  Middlesex  —  Resolved,  that  a  conve- 
nient house  next  adjoining  thereto,  such  as  his 

(1.)  This  name,  or  rather  Watana'nuck,  was  the  one  given  by  the 
Indians  to  the  Falls  in  the  Merrimac,  near  "  Taylor's  Falls  Bridge  ;" 
to  the  little  pond  in  Hudson  about  a  mile  easterly  of  these  Falls ;  to 
Salmon  brook  and  Sandy  poud;  and  to  the  whole  plain  upon  which 
Nashua  Village  in  Nashua  now  stands.  It  is  the  same  word  as 
O  titanic. 

(2.)  MilUary  Records,  1702,  page  336. 

"  =* 


76  HISTORY  OF 


Excellency  shall  direct,  be  fitted  up  and  fortified 
for  that  purpose  with  hewn  timber  and  a  suitable 
garrison  posted  there  for  the  defence  thereof;  the 
fortification  not  to  exceed  forty  feet  square." 

This  was  probably  the  old  fort,  or  "  Queen's 
Garrison,  "(I.)  as  it  was  called,  which  stood  about 
sixty  rods  easterly  of  Main  street,  in  Nashua,  and 
about  as  far  northerly  of  Salmon  brook,  near  a 
cluster  of  oaks.  Some  traces  of  the  fort  were  to 
be  seen  until  within  a  few  years.  Here  a  small 
garrison  was  posted,  as  appears  by  the  following 
return  to  the  Governor  and  Council,  dated  Dec. 
25,  1702,  which  contains  the  list  of  the  soldiers 
then  at  the  garrison.  (2.) 

"William  Tyng,  Lieutenant;  John  Bowers, 
Sergeant;  Joseph  Butterfield,  Drummer;  John 
Spalding,  John  Cummings,  Joseph  Hassell,  Ebe- 
nezer  Spalding,  Daniel  Galusha,  Paul  Fletcher, 
Samuel  French,  Thomas  Lund." 

"  Jonathan  Tyng,  Lt.  Colonel." 

In  1703  war  was  renewed  between  France  and 
England.  It  lasted  until  1713,  and  was  called 
"  Queen  Anne's  War."  The  Indians,  as  usual, 
took  part  with  the  French,  and  in  August  1703  a 
general  attack  was  made  upon  all  the  frontier 
settlements.  Terror  and  devastation  reigned  ev- 
ery where.  Within  a  few  weeks  more  than  two 
hundred  whites  were  either  killed  or  captured.  — 
The  General  Assembly  being  sensibly  affected  by 
these  massacres,  offered  a  bounty  of  £40  for  every 
Indian  scalp.  "  Captain  Tyng  was  the  first  who 
embraced  the  tender.  He  went  in  the  depth  of 
winter,  (1703-4,)  to  their  head  quarters,  [at  Pe- 


(1.)  Queea  Anne. 

(2.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1702. 


p '  '          •      ^=^ 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  77 

quawkettj   and  got  five,  for  which  he  received 
two  hundred  pounds. "  ( 1 . ) 

He  afterwards  became  a  Major,  and  it  is  said 
-  was  a  true  lover  of  his  country,  and  very  often 
distinguished  himself  as  a  gentleman  of  good  val- 
or and  conduct."(2.)  The  Indians  did  not  for- 
get the  slaughter  of  their  friends,  or  their  nation- 
al law  of  blood  for  blood,  although  its  execution 
might  be  long  delayed.  In  1710  he  was  waylaid 
by  them  between  Concord  and  Groton,  and  so 
severely  wounded  that  he  soon  after  died. (3.) 

It  was  probably  soon  after  the  commencement 
of  this  war  that  the  garrison  of  Robert  Parris  was 
surprised,  and  himself  and  family  massacred. — 
He  lived  in  the  southerly  part  of  Nashua,  on  the 
Main  road,  on  the  farm  which  adjoined  that  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Weld  on  the  north. (4.)  He  was  a  large 
landed  proprietor,  and  had  been  selectman  and 
representative  of  the  town.  "The  Indians  in  one 
of  their  predatory  excursions  attacked  his  house, 
and  killed  him,  his  wife,  and  oldest  daughter. — 
Two  small  girls  who  composed  the  rest  of  his 
family,  ran  down  cellar,  and  crawled  under  an 
empty  hogshead.  The  savages  plundered  the 
house,  struck  with  their  tomahawks  upon  the 
hogshead,  but  neglected  to  examine  it,  and  de- 
parted leaving  the  house  unburned,  probably 
fearing  that  the  flames  would  alarm  the  neigh- 
bors. The  orphan  girls  were  sent  to  Charlestown, 
Mass.,  and  there  brought  up.  One  of  them  mar- 
ried a  Richardson,  and  the  other  a  Gotfe,  father 
of  the  celebrated  Col.  Goffe,  whose  posterity  are 
numerous  in  this  vicinity."(5.) 

(1.)  Penhallow.     1  Ar.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  27.     This  was  Capt.  John 
Tyng,  eldest  son  of  Col.  Jonathan  Tyng  of  this  town. 
(2.)  Penhallow.     I  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  60. 
(3.)  Allen's  Chdmsford,  33. 
(i.)  Proprietary  Records  of  D unstable. 
(5.)  2  Farmer  if-  Moore's  Historical  Collections,  306.     Parris  is 


78 


HISTORY    OF 


In  March,  1704,  the  town  was  again  compelled 
to  seek  aid  from  the  Colonial  Treasury  for  the 
support  of  the  ministry,  and  for  defence  against 
their  enemy,  and  presented  the  following  moving 
petition.  Upon  the  consideration  of  the  petition 
the  sum  of  £20  was  granted  to  the  town  for  these 
purposes.  (1.) 

"  To  the  General  Court  iu  session,  8  March  1703.(2.) 
The  most  humble  Petition  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Town 
of  Dunstable  in  the  County  of  Middlesex,         Shtwtth: 

That  whereas  your  distressed  Petitioners,  through  the 
calamities  of  the  several  Indian  rebellions  and  depredations, 
.•ire  much  reduced  in  our  estates,  and  lessened  in  our  num- 
bers, (notwithstanding  the  addition  of  many  desirable  fam- 
ilies when  there  was  a  prospect  of  a  settled  peace,)  so  that 
we  are  not  capable  wholly  to  support  the  ministry  of  the 
Gospel,  after  which  Ark  of  God's  presence  our  souls  la- 
ment, and  the  want  of  which,  more  than  all  other  great 
hardships,  and  hazards,  doth  discourage  us,  and  threaten 
the  ruin  of  this  desirable  plantation,  but  the  enjoyment  of 
such  a  rich  merry  will  animate  us  still  to  stand,  (as  we 
have  long  done,)  in  the  front  of  danger: 

"  Inasmuch  also  as  his  Excellency,  in  his  great  wisdom 
and  providence  for  the  security  of  this  eminently  frontier 
place,  and  of  this  part  of  the  Province  so  much  exposed  to 
the  invasion  of  the  bloody  salvages,  hath  been  pleased  to 
post  a  considerable  force  of  soldiers  here,  the  great  advan- 
tage whereof  hath  been  experienced  in  these  parts,  but  they 
can  never  hear  a  sermon  without  travelling  more  than 
lii-rin-  miles  from  their  principal  post,  which  is  to  them  no 
small  discouragement:  (3.) 

"We  are  therefore  humbly  bold  to  lay  tafore  the  wise 
and  compassionate  consideration  of  th-s  Great  and  Gener- 
al Assembly  the  sorrowful  circumstances  of  her  Majesty's 
good  subjects  in  said  town,  and;  do  most  humbly  implore 
that  such  a  supply  may  be  ordered,  out  of  the  Treasury  of 

not  improbably  the  same  name  as  Pierce,  since,  January  8,  1702,  we 
find  recorded  llie  marriage  of  "  Jane  Pierce,  alias  Parris." — Town 
Records. 

(I.)  Mass.  Ecclesiastical  Records,  170-1.  page  191. 

(2.)  This  was  8tl».  March,  1703-4,  or  1704. 

(3.)  This  garrison  was  at  Salmon  brook,  and  the  nearest  meeting 
house,  (except  in  town,)  was  al  Chelmsford,  then  twelve  miles  dii- 
tant. 


_-       —  fl 

NASHUA,   NASHVILLE,  &C.  79 


the  Province,  towards  the  support  of  the  ministry  in  Dun- 
stable,  as  to  your  great  wisdom  and  candor  shall  appear 
meet,  we  being  found,  (as  we  are  in  duty  bound,)  to  contri- 
bute to  such  a  service  for  our  souls  to  the  uttermost  of  our 
ability,  and  much  beyond  the  proportion  of  others  in  greater 
congregations  for  the  ordinances  of  God's  worship  among 
themselves ; — And  your  poor  Petitioners  are  the  more  en- 
couraged thus  to  pray  in  hope,  since  their  former  applica- 
tions of  this  kind  have  ever  been  compassionately  regarded 
and  bountifully  answered  by  former  Great  and  General 
Assemblies  of  this  Province." 

"  Your  obedient  and  humble  servants. 

SAMUEL  WHITING,     }      Selectmen 
WILLIAM  TYNG,          >    in  behalf  of 
JOSEPH  BLANCHARD,  }  of  the  Town." 

In  1704  a  block  house  was  erected  somewhere 
in  town  by  Col.  Tyng,  by  the  direction  and  at  the 
expense  of  the  colony,  but  the  place  of  its  loca- 
tion is  not  designated.  (1.) 

It  may  be  a  matter  of  some  interest  and  curios- 
ity, as  illustrating  the  manners  and  customs  of 
the  times,  to  insert  the  following  account  of  the 
expenses  of  the  funeral  of  James  Blanchard,  who 
died  in  1704.  He  was  a  farmer  in  tolerable  cir- 
cumstances. 

"Paid  for  a  winding  sheet,  £0 — 185. — Oc?. 

Paid  for  a  coffin,  0  "  10  "  0 

Paid  for  digging  grave,  0  "    7  "  6 

Paid  for  the  use  of  the  pall,  0  "    5  "  0 

Paid  for  gloves,   (to  distribute  at 

the  funeral,)  1  "    1   "  0 

Paid  for  wine,  segars,  and  spice, 

(at  the  funeral,)  1  "    5  "  9 

Paid  to  the  Doctor,  0  "  14  "  9 

Paid  for  attendance,  expenses,&c.  1  "  17  "  5 


£Q"  19  "  5" 

(1.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1704. 


r 


80  HISTORY    OF 


In  January  1706,  "the  trading  house  at  Wata- 
anuck  in  Dunstable,  being  now  useless,  they  [the 
House  of  Representatives,]  were  not  willing  to 
continue  to  support  a  garrison  there.  To  which 
his  Excellency  returned  answer,  that  he  made  no 
further  use  thereof  than  as  a  convenient  post  for 
lodging  some  of  the  persons  being  under  pay  and 
at  hand  for  the  relief  of  Groton  arid  the  near  parts 
upon  an  attack,  and  for  scouting,  and  not  as  a 
fortress  or  garrison. "(1.)  From  this  -circum- 
stance, at  this  time  probably  little  danger  was 
anticipated. 

In  April  1706  the  sum  of  £10  was  granted,  by 
the  General  Assembly,  to  Samuel  Butterfield  who 
had  been  "  taken  captive  by  the  Indians,  cruelly 
treated,  and  stripped  of  all,  having  killed  one  of 
them,  and  knocked  down  two  others,  after  they 
had  seized  him."(2.)  No  hint  is  given  of  the  time 
or  place  of  capture. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1706,  Col.  Schuyler  of 
Albany  gave  notice  to  Governor  Dudley  of  New 
Hampshire,  that  a  party  of  Mohawks,  270  in 
number,  were  marching  to  attack  Piscataqua. — 
"  Their  first  descent  was  at  Dunstable,  July  3, 
1706,  where  they  fell  on  a  house  that  had  twenty 
troopers  posted  in  it,  who  by  their  negligence  and 
folly,  keeping  no  watch,  suffered  them  to  enter, 
which  tended  to  the  destruction  of  one  half  their 
number."(3.)  This  was,  it  is  said,  at  "  the  Weld 
garrison." 

A  more  particular  account  of  this  attack  has 
been  preserved,  which  is  as  follows.  These  troop- 
ers, who  were  mounted  scouts,  "  had  been  rang- 

(t.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1706. 
(2.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1706. 
(3.)  Penhallow.  1  Ar.  //.  Hist.  Coll.,  48,  49. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    kC.    •  81 

ing  the  woods  in  the  vicinity,  and  came  towards 
night  to  this  garrison.  Apprehending  no  danger, 
they  turned  their  horses  loose  upon  the  interval, 
piled  their  arms  and  harness  in  the  house,  and 
began  a  carousal  to  exhilarate  their  spirits  after 
the  fatigues  of  the  day.  A  party  of  Indians  had 
lately  arrived  in  the  vicinity,  and  on  that  day  had 
designed  to  attack  both  Weld's  and  Galusha's 
garrisons.  One  of  their  number  had  been  sta- 
tioned to  watch  each  of  these  garrisons,  to  see 
that  no  assistance  approached  and  no  alarm  was 
given.  A  short  time  previous  to  the  approach  of 
the  cavalry  the  Indian  stationed  at  Weld's  had 
retired  to  his  party,  and  reported  that  all  was 
safe. 

"  At  sunset  a  Mr.  Cummings  and  his  wife  went 
out  to  milk  their  cows,  and  left  the  gate  open. — 
The  Indians  who  had  advanced  undiscovered, 
started  up,  shot  Mrs.  Cummings  dead  upon  the 
spot,  and  wounded  her  husband.  They  then 
rushed  through  the  open  gate  into  the  house  with 
all  the  horrible  yells  of  conquering  savages,  but 
started  with  amazement  on  finding  the  room  filled 
with  soldiers  merrily  feasting.  Both  parties  were 
completely  amazed,  and  neither  acted  with  much 
propriety.  The  soldiers,  so  suddenly  interrupted 
in  their  jovial  entertainment,  found  themselves 
called  to  fight  when  entirely  destitute  of  arms, 
and  incapable  of  obtaining  them. 

"  The  greater  part  were  panic  struck  and  una- 
ble to  fight  or  fly.  Fortunately  all  were  not  in 
this  sad  condition.  Some  six  or  seven  courageous 
souls,  with  chairs,  clubs,  or  whatever  they  could 
seize  upon,  furiously  attacked  the  advancing  foe. 
The  Indians,  who  were  as  much  surprised  as  the 
soldiers,  had  but  little  more  courage  than  they, 
and  immediately  took  to  their  heels  for  safety : 
thus  quitting  the  house  defeated  by  one  quarter 

5  -* -.."."       . .- _  ._.'          ]""'.""  "'."•"r7^"'"~''"~"-7  "'."  ~"~;     :        ::1_- --^  -------  -—T--—-^-— 


82  HISTORY    OF 


their  number  of  unarmed  men.  The  trumpeter, 
who  was  in  the  upper  part  of  the  house  when  the 
attack  commenced,  seized  his  trumpet  and  began 
sounding  an  alarm,  when  he  was  shot  dead  by 
an  Indian  upon  the  stairway.  He  was  the  only 
one  of  the  party  killed. 

"  Cummings  who  was  wounded  had  his  arm 
broken,  but  was  so  fortunate  as  to  reach  the  woods 
while  the  Indians  were  engaged  in  the  house.    : 
That  night  he  lay  in  a  swamp  in  the  northerly   i 
part  of  Tyngsborough,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
west  of  the    great  road,  and  a  few  rods  south  of 
the  state  line.     The  next  day  he  arrived  at  the 
garrison  near  Tyngsborough  village."  (I-) 

There  were  several  of  these  garrisons  in  town 
to  which  the  inhabitants  fled  in  times  of  danger 
like  the  present,  and  where  they  usually  spent 
their  nights.  "  They  were  environed  by  a  strong 
wall  of  stone  or  of  hewn  timber  built  up  to  the 
eaves  of  the  houses,  through  which  was  a  gate 
fastened  by  bars  and  bolts  of  iron.  They  were 
lined  either  with  brick  or  plank.  Some  of  them 
had  port  holes  for  the  discharge  of  musketry." 
They  were  generally  built  of  logs,  and  had  the 
upper  story  projecting  three  or  four  feet  beyond 
the  lower  story  walls,  for  the  purpose  of  greater 
security. (2.) 

This  last  account  of  the  attack  contradicts  that 
of  Penhallow  in  some  particulars,  but  as  Penhal- 
low,  who  wrote  the  history  of  the  Indian  wars  of 
that  period,  was  an  officer,  and  a  cotemporary, 
his  statement  that  half  the  number  of  troopers 
were  destroyed  is  most  probably  correct.  The 
circumstances  of  the  surprise  corroborate  it.  In 
a  cotemporary  Journal  of  Rev.  John  Pike  of  Do- 


(1.)  IN.  H.  Hist.  CoH. 
(2.)  Allen's  C/ielmsfood, 


133. 
143. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  83 

ver,  the  attack  is  thus  mentioned  :  "  July  3rd, 
1706,  Capt.  Pearson  of  Rowley  marching  with 
his  troops  to  Dunstable,  and  being  posted  with 
part  of  his  troops  at  one  Blanchard's  house,  while 
they  were  at  supper  in  the  chamber,  the  enemy 
had  slyly  turned  Blanchard's  sheep  into  his  corn, 
which  he  and  his  wife  going  out  to  restore,  were 
both  slain.  The  doors  and  gates  being  open,  the 
enemy  entered  the  house,  killed  Pearson's  trum- 
peter with  three  other  troopers,  and  wounded  five 
more.  At  last  they  were  driven  out  of  the  house 
with  the  loss  of  one  Indian.  Pearson  was  much 
blamed  for  not  setting  his  sentinels  out."  (1.) 

There  is  discrepancy  and  confusion  in  these 
accounts,  probably  arising  from  the  fact  that  two 
attacks  are  blended  together.  Penhallow  is  prob- 
ably correct  in  his  statement  that  the  conflict  with 
the  troopers,  and  the  death  of  Mrs.  Cummuigs 
occurred  at  Cummings's  house.  Blanchard's  gar- 
rison was  at  some  distance  from  this  scene,  and 
he  with  most  of  his  family,  and  others  not  men- 
tioned by  Penhallow  or  Pike,  were  killed  at  the 
same  time,  as  appears  by  the  following  extracts 
from  the  ancient  records  of  the  town.  From  these 
it  would  seem  that  the  garrisons  v-ere  attacked 
"at  night." 

"Nathaniel  Blanehard  dye^  on  July  the  3rd  at 
night  1706.  Lydia  Blauchard,  wife  of  Nathaniel 
Blanehard,  and  Susannah  Blanehard,  daughter 
Nath'l  Blanehard,  dyed  on  July  3rd  at  night  in 
the  year  1706. 

"  Mrs.  Hannah  Ulanchard  dyed  on  July  the  3rd 
at  night  in  the  year  1706. 

"  Goody  CAunniings,  the  wife  of  John  Cum- 
inings  die<2  on  July  the  third  at  night,  1706. 

Galusha  died  on  July  the  3rd,  1706." 


(l.>  Pike's  Journal.     3  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  56. 

-^    ...  ..  .  ____  ft 


84  HISTORY    OF 


"After  that,"  on  the  same  day,  says  Penhal- 
low,  "  a  small  party  attacked  Daniel  Galusha's 
house,  who  held  them  in  play  for  some  time  till 
the  old  man's  courage  failed,  when  on  surrender- 
ing himself  he  informed  them  of  the  state  of 
the  garrison  ;  how  that  one  man  was  killed 
and  only  two  men  and  a  boy  left,  which  caus- 
ed them  to  rally  anew  and  with  greater  courage 
than  before.  Upon  which  one  man  and  the  boy 
got  on  the  outside,  leaving  only  Jacob  [Galusha] 
to  fight  the  battle,  who  for  some  time  defended 
himself  with  much  bravery,  but  overpowered 
with  force  and  finding  none  to  assist  him,  was 
obliged  to  quit  and  make  the  best  escape  he  could. 
But  before  he  got  far  the  enemy  laid  hold  of  him 
once  and  again,  and  yet  by  much  struggling  he 
rescued  himself.  Upon  this  they  burned  the 
house,  and  next  day  fell  on  Amesbury."(l.) 

Galusha's  garrison  was  about  two  miles  west 
of  Weld's  garrison,  on  Salmon  brook,  at  a  place 
formerly  called  Glasgow,  where  Henry  Turrell 
now  lives.  Pike  mentions  the  attack,  but  in  a 
manner  to  show  that  our  accounts  are  very  im- 
perfect. "  Near  about  the  same  time,  or  soon  af- 
ter, they  assaulted  another  house  belonging  to 
Jacob  GalusV.a,  a  Dutchman.  The  house  was 
burned,  some  persons  were  killed  and  some  es- 
caped. The  whole  number  said  to  have  been 
slain  in  Dunstable  &t.  this  time  was  nine  per- 
sons."^.) 

In  a  note  to  "  PenhalloVs  Indian  Wars,"  by 
John  Farmer,  Esq.,  the  following  more  particular 
account  of  this  attack  is  giver. ;  "The  savages 
disappointed  in  this  part  of  then  plan,  (the  at- 
tack on  Weld's  garrison)  immediately  proceeded 
to  Galusha's.  two  miles  distant,  took  posses- 

(2.)  Pike's  Journal.  3  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  56.  His  nune  wa* 
Daniel. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


85 


sion  of  and  burned  it.  One  woman  only  escaped. 
Had  the  company  at  Weld's  armed  and  immedi- 
ately pursued,  they  might  probably  have  pre- 
vented this  disaster ;  but  they  spent  so  much 
time  in  arming  and  getting  their  horses,  that  the 
enemy  had  an  opportunity  to  perpetrate  the  mis- 
chief, and  escaped  uninjured. 

"  The  woman  above  mentioned,  when  the  In- 
dians attacked  the  house,  sought  refuge  in  the 
cellar,  and  concealed  herself  under  a  dry  cask. 
After  hastily  plundering  the  house,  and  murder- 
ing, as  they  supposed,  all  who  were  within  it, 
the  Indians  set  it  on  fire,  and  immediately  re- 
tired. The  woman,  in  this  critical  situation,  at- 
tempted to  escape  by  the  window,  but  found  it 
too  small.  She  however  succeeded  in  loosening 
the  stones,  till  she  had  opened  a  hole  sufficient  to 
admit  of  her  passage,  and  with  the  house  in  flames 
over  her  head,  she  forced  herself  out  and  crawled 
into  the  bushes,  not  daring  to  rise  for  fear  she 
should  be  discovered.  In  the  bushes  she  lay 
concealed  until  the  next  day,  when  she  reached 
one  of  the  neighboring  garrisons."  (1.) 

In  the  Records  of  the  General  Court  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, mention  is  made  several  times  of  these 
conflicts.  The  sum  of  £4  was  granted  to  "  Rob- 
ert Rogers,  of  Rowley,"  who  was  "one  of  Capt. 
Peirson's  company  when  attacked  by  the  Indians 
at  Dunstable,  and  was  wounded  by  a  spear  run 
into  his  breast."  (2.)  The  sum  of  £10  was  also 
allowed  to  Capt.  Peirson,  "for  the  scalp  of  an 
Indian  enemy  slain  the  last  summer  by  him  and 
his  company  at  Dunstable,  to  be  by  him  distri- 
buted and  paid  to  such  of  his  troops,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  said  town,  that  were  at  the  gar- 
rison when  and  where  the  Indian  was  slain." 

(1.)  I  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  133:  note.     \  Belknap,  173:  note. 

(2.)  Mass.  Military  Records.     May  26,  1707.  


j!   86 


HISTORY    OF 


In  1712  we  find  the  following  petition  of  Dan- 
iel Gallusha,  in  which  he  states,  "that  about 
six  years  past,  when  the  Indians  attacked  and 
took  the  house  of  Daniel  Gallusha,  his  father  in 
Dun  stable,  he  being  posted  there  under  her  Maj- 
esty's pay,  and  serving  there  with  his  own  arms, 
while  running  hastily  to  take  his  own  gun,  by 
mistake  took  one  of  the  public  arms,  and  the  en- 
emy pressing  sn're  upon  him,  he  was  forced  to 
make  his  escape,  the  house  being  burned  by  the 
enemy,  with  his  gun  and  others  therein.  Upon 
which  Col.  (Jonathan)  Tyng  stops  forty  shil- 
lings of  his  wages  for  the  said  gun."  (1.)  This 
i-s  perhaps  the  person  called  by  Penhallow,  Jacob 
Galusha. 

The  Indians  still  remained  in  the  vicinity,  and 
a  few  days  afterwards  this  company  of  "  troop- 
ers "  fell  into  an  ambuscade,  and  lost  several  of 
their  number.  The  only  circumstances  now 
known  are  contained  in  the  following  brief  notice  : 
"  Joseph  Kidder  and  Jeremiah  Nelson,  of  Row- 
ley, were  killed  10th  July,  1706,  and  John  Pick- 
ard  mortally  wounded,  and  died  at  Billerica  on 
the  5th  August  following."  (2.) 

Within  a  few  days  the  Indians  again  made 
their  appearance.  "July  27th.  Lt.  Butterfield 
and  his  wife,  riding  between  Dunstable  and  an- 
other town,  (Chelmsford.)  had  their  horse  shot 
down  by  the  enemy.  The  man  escaped,  the 
woman  was  taken,  and  Joe  English,  a  friendly  In- 
dian, in  company  with  them  at  the  time,  was 
slain."  (3.)  This  attack  is  said  to  have  taken 
place  at  Holden's  Brook,  a  little  south  of  the 
State  line. 

(1.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1712,  page 225. 

(2.)  1  Belknap,  172:    note. 

(3.)  Pike's  Journal.     3  A".  //.  Hist.  Coll.  57. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


87 


After  the  escape  of  Joe  English  from  the  Indi- 
ans and  the  deception  he  had  practised  upon 
them,  they  determined  upon  revenge.  This  am- 
buscade was  the  consequence,  and  the  story  is 
thus  told  more  at  length  as  handed  down  by  tra- 
dition :  "  After  his  return  to  Dunstable,  Joe  with 
another  soldier  was  appointed  to  guard  Captain 
Butterfield  and  his  wife  on  a  visit  to  some  of 
their  friends  in  the  upper  part  of  Chelmsford. 
They  were  mounted  on  horseback  preceded  by 
Joe,  with  his  gun  loaded,  and  the  other  soldier 
following  in  the  rear. 

"In  passing  Holden's  Brook,  now  in  Tyngsbo- 
rough,  a  party  of  Indians  discovered  them,  who 
immediately  fired  after  they  crossed  the  brook, 
killed  the  horse  on  which  Capt.  Butterfield  and 
wife  were  riding,  and  then  rushed  on  to  kill  their 
prey.  Joe  had  gone  too  far  from  the  brook  to  ef- 
fect his  retreat,  and  he  being  the  principal  object 
they  wished  to  secure,  they  pursued  him.  Capt. 
Butterfield  and  the  other  soldier  made  their  €s- 
cape,  but  Mrs.  Butterfield  was  taken  prisoner. 

"Joe  espying  on  his  left  a  considerable  thicket 
of  woods,  ran  towards  it  with  all  possible  haste, 
but  he  found  the  Indians  gained  upon  him.  He, 
therefore,  turned  round,  faced  them,  and  present- 
ed his  gun,  upon  which  they  fell  immediately  to 
to  the  ground.  This  gave  Joe  some  advantage, 
and  after  taking  breath  he  set  out  again  for  the 
thicket.  This  he  repeated  several  times,  when 
the  Indians,  finding  he  was  likely  to  escape  by 
his  near  approach  to  the  woods,  with  which  they 
knew  he  was  perfectly  acquainted,  and  where  he 
could  easily  conceal  himself,  one  of  them  fired, 
and  the  ball  entered  the  arm  with  which  he  car- 
ried his  gun,  which  he  was  immediately  com- 
pelled to  drop,  and  ran  with  greater  speed  than 
before.  He  was  just  on  the  point  of  entering  the 


*8 


p 


88 


HISTORY    OF 


thicket,  when  a  second  ball  entered  his  thigh  anu 
brought  him  to  the  ground. 

"  The  Indians  were  highly  elated  with  the  pros- 
pect of  taking  vengeance  on  Joe.  and  they  had  al- 
ready in  their  minds,  prepared  the  keenest  and 
most  excruciating  tortures  for  their  victim.  Joe 
was  not  ignorant  of  the  suffering  that  awaited  him. 
and  wished  to  provoke  them  so  much  that  they 
might  despatch  him  at  once.  They  soon  came 
up  to  him,  and  vented  their  feelings  in  all  ihe 
expressions  of  savage  triumph  and  pleasure. — 
"  Now  Joe,"  said  they,  "  we've  got  you."  Joe 
immediately  made  them  a  gesture  and  a  reply  of 
such  insulting  scorn,  that  they  were  highly  irritat- 
ed. His  purpose  was  answered,  for  they  des- 
patched him  with  their  tomahawks  without  fur- 
ther ceremony."  (I.) 

Joe  English  was  a  grandson  of  Masconnomet. 
chief  Sagamore  of  Agawarn.  (Ipswich,  Mass.) 
As  one  of  his  heirs  he  owned  an  interest  in  large 
tracts  of  land  lying  in  that  vicinity  and  upon  the 
Merrimac,  which  he  conveyed  by  various  deeds 
in  1701  and  1702.  (2.)  Many  are  the  stories 
which  are  related  of  his  courage,  his  fidelity;  his 
adventures,  and  his  hair  breadth  escapes.  His 
death  was  lamented  as  a  public  loss.  The  Gen- 
eral Assembly  made  a  grant  to  his  widow  and 
two  children  '•  because  he  died  in  the  service  of  his 
country."  (3.)  And  his  memory,  although  hum- 
ble, was  long  cherished  as  one  who  fell  by  the 
hands  of  his  own  brethren,  on  account  of  his 
friendship  for  the  whites. 

We  find  no  farther  mention  of  damage  done  by 
the  Indians  in  Dunstable  for  many  years,  although 
they  made  frequent  and  bloody  attacks  upon 

(I.)  Indian  Anecdotes,  IGt.     Farmer's  Historical  Catechism,  24. 
(-2.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1706. 

(3.)  His  signature"  wos  a  how  with  the  arrow  drawn  to  its  head. 
JfUlory  of  Htnrlr.y,  373,331. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &.C. 


89 


other  neighboring  and  frontier  towns.  There 
were  incursions,  indeed,  and  alarms,  for  in 
March,  1710,  it  was  "  voted  and  agreed  upon  by 
the  inhabitants  that  the  selectmen  should  take 
care  in  order  to  obtain  some  help  and  assistance 
from  the  country,  by  a  petition  to  the  General 
Court."  This  was  done  only  in  cases  of  great 
emergency.  A  company  of  "  snow  men  "  were 
kept  scouting,  and  ordered  here  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  settlement,  under  Col.  Tyng,  and 
garrisons  established  at  several  places  at  which 
the  settlers  dwelt.  The  history  of  the  frontiers 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1713.  is  but  a  series 
of  attacks,  burnings,  captivity,  and  massacre. 
"From  1675  to  1714  it  is  estimated  that  Massa- 
chusetts and  New  Hampshire  lost  6000  young 
men  and  male  children,  including  those  killed 
and  those  who  were  made  captives  without  ever 
being  recovered." 

In  November.  1711,  the  inhabitants  stiil  lived 
principally  in  garrison  houses,  where  soldiers 
under  the  pay  of  the  Colony  were  stationed  con- 
stantly for  their  defence.  From  a  return  of  the 
number,  location,  and  situation  of  these  garrisons 
made  to  the  General  Court  at  that  time,  it  appears 
that  there  were  seven,  garrisons,  containing  thir- 
teen families  and  eighty-six  persons,  in  this  town. 
This  perhaps  did  not  include  the  whole  number 
of  families  in  town.  If  it  did,  the  number  had 
diminished  more  than  one  half  since  1680 — a 
striking  proof  of  the  dangers  and  sufferings  of 
the  early  settlers. 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  garrisons,  num- 
ber of  families,  number  of  male  inhabitants  in 
each  garrison,  number  of  soldiers  stationed  in 
each  garrison,  and  the  whole  number  of  inhabi- 


90 


HISTORY  Oi 


tants  in  each    garrison.     The  "Queen's   (Garri- 
son "    was    probably     Wataanuck.    at    Salmon 


Brook.  (I.) 


Names  of  Gait Nons. 


Col.  (Jonathan)  Tyng's, 
Mr.  Henry  Farwell's, 
Mr.  (John)  Cnrnmings' 
Col.  (Sam'l)  Whiting's. 
Mr.  (Thomas)  Lund's,' 
Queen's  Garrison, 
Mr.  (John)  Lollendinc's, 
Total, 


I 

3 
2 

9 

1 

2 

1 

f3 


1* 

f 

" 

E. 

1 

6 

8 

3 

2 

28 

2 

2 

21 

0 

1 

8 

1 

4 

21 

0 

4 

~7~|H) 

86! 

In  June,  1713,  a  grant  of  £10  was  made  to 
Samuel  Whiting,  who  had  been  "taken  captive 
and  carried  to  Canada"  during  the  war,  but  had 
escaped,  and  who.  in  consequence  of  wounds  and 
sufferings,  was  still  under  the  doctor's  care  and 
unable  to  labor.  (2  ) 

It  was  probably  some  time  during  this  war  that 
Richard  Hassell,  (a  son  of  Joseph  Hassell  killed 
in  1601.)  was  taken  captive  by  Indians  on  Long 
Hill  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  and  carried  to 
Canada. 

Thus  feeble  and  suffering  had  been  the  condition 
of  the  settlement  for  many  years.  Fear  and  des- 
olation reigned  every  where.  Compelled  to  dwell 
in  garrisons,  and  to  labor  at  the  constant  peril  of 
life,  how  could  the  settlers  thrive?  Dunstable 
was  scarcely  more  advanced  in  1714  than  it  was 
in  1680,  so  disastrous  had  been  the  effects  of  the 
long  and  bloody  wars.  Many  of  the  most  useful 

(I.)  Mass.  MUilary  Records,  171 1. 
(2.)  Ufass.  Military  Records,  1713. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  91 

inhabitants  had  been  slain  or  taken  captive,  heads 
of  families  especially.  Some  had  removed  to 
places  more  secure  from  Indian  depredation,  and 
deserted  all.  Few,  very  few  emigrated  to  what 
might  well  be  termed  "  the  dark  and  bloody 
ground,"  and  it  was  no  time  for  marriage  feasts 
when  the  bridal  procession  might  at  every  step 
become  a  funeral  one,  and  the  merry  laugh  be 
drowned  by  the  rifle  and  the  war  whoop. 

"The  war  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,"  says 
Bancroft,  "  was  one  of  ambushes  and  surprises. 
They  never  once  met  the  English  in  open  field  ; 
but  always,  even  if  eight-fold  in  number,  fled 
timorously  before  infantry.  .  But  they  were  secret 
as  beasts  of  prey,  skilful  marksmen,  and  in  part 
provided  with  fire  arms,  fleet  of  foot,  conversant 
with  all  tKo  patha  of  the  foroet,  patient  of  fatigue, 
and  mad  with  a  passion  for  rapine,  vengeance, 
and  destruction  ;  retreating  into  swamps  for  their 
fastnesses,  or  hiding  in  the  greenwood  thickets, 
where  the  leaves  muffled  the  eyes  of  the  pursuer. 

"  By  the  rapidity  of  their  descent  they  seemed 
omnipresent  among  the  scattered  villages,  which 
they  ravaged  like  a  passing  storm,  and  for  years 
they  kept  all  New  England  in  a  state  of  alarm 
and  excitement.  The  exploring  party  was  way- 
laid and  cut  oft',  and  the  mangled  carcasses  and 
disjointed  limbs  of  the  dead  were  hung  upon  the 
trees  to  terrify  pursuers.  The  laborer  in  the  field, 
the  reapers  as  they  went  forth  to  the  harvest,  men 
as  they  went  to  mill,  the  shepherd's  boy  among 
the  sheep,  were  shot  down  by  skulking  foes  whose 
approach  was  invisible. 

"  Who  can  tell  the  heavy  hours  of  woman  ? — 
The  mother  if  left  alone  in  the  house  feared  the 
tomahawk  for  herself  and  children.  On  the  sud- 
den attack  the  husband  would  fly  with  one  child. 


HISTORY    OF 


the  wife  with  another,  and  perhaps  one  only  es- 
cape. The  village  cavalcade  making  its  way  to 
meeting  on  Sunday,  in  files  on  horseback,  the 
farmer  holding  his  bridle  in  one  hand  and  a  child 
in  the  other,  his  wife  seated  on  a  pillion  behind 
him,  it  may  he  with  a  child  in  her  lap  as  was  the 
fashion  in  those  days,  could  not  proceed  safely, 
but  at  the  moment  when  least  expected  bullets 
would  come  whizzing  by  them,  discharged  with 
fatal  aim  from  an  ambuscade  by  the  wayside. — 
The  forest  that  protected  the  ambush  of  the  In- 
dians secured  their  retreat.  They  hung  upon  the 
skirts  of  the  F^ngHsh  villages  '  like  the  lightning 
on  the  edge  of  the  cloud.'  "  (1.) 

"Did  they  surprise  a  garrison?  Quickly," 
writes  Mary  Rowlandson  of  Lancaster,  "it  was 
the  dolefullest  day  that  ever  mine  eyes  saw.  Now 
the  dreadful  hour  is  come.  Some  in  our  iiouoo 
were  fighting  for  their  lives  :  others  wallowing  in 
blood  :  the  house  on  fire  over  our  heads,  and  the 
bloody  heathen  ready  to  knock  us  on  the  head  if 
we  stirred  out.  I  took  my  children  to  go  forth, 
but  the  Indians  shot  so  thick  that  the  bullets  rat- 
tled against  the  house  as  if  they  had  thrown  a 
handful  of  stones.  We  had  six  stout  dogs  but  not 
one  of  them  would  stir. 

"The  bullets  flying  thick,  one  went  through 
my  side,  and  through  my  poor  child  in  my  arms." 
The  brutalities  of  an  Indian  massacre  followed. 
''There  remained  nothing  to  me,''  she  continues 
being  in  captivity,  "but  one  poor  wounded  babe. 
Down  I  must  sit  in  the  snow  with  my  sick  child, 
the  picture  of  death,  in  my  lap.  Not  the  least 
crumb  of  refreshing  came  within  either  our  mouths 
from  Wednesday  night  till  Saturday  night,  ex- 
cepting only  a  little  cold  water.  One  Indian, 
and  then  a  second,  and  then  a  third  would  come 

(1.)  2  Bancroft's  United  States,  10-.'. 


Ml" 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


93 


and  tell  me  :  '  Your  master  will  quickly  knock 
your  child  on  the  head.'  This  was  the  comfort 
I  had  from  them :  miserable  comforters  were  they 
all."  (1.) 

Such  was  the  life  of  the  early  settlers  of  Dun- 
stable,  and  could  our  plains  unfold  the  bloody 
scenes  and  heart  touching  events  Avhich  have 
here  taken  place,  their  story  \vould  be  as  strange 
and  thrilling  as  that  of  Mary  Rowlaridson. 
These  scenes  have  indeed  passed  away,  and  their 
actors  are  well  nigh  forgotten,  but  we  ought  nev- 
er to  forget  that  our  soil  has  been  sprinkled  with 
their  blood,  and  that  to  them  we  owe  most  of  the 
blessings  which  we  enjoy. 

(1.)  Mary  Roic/andson's  Narrative,  12 — 15. 


dft 


* 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  FROM  1702  TO  1737. 

For  many  years  after  the  death  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Weld  the  ecclesiastical  affairs  of  the  the  town  are 
involved  in  much  obscurity.  No  minister  was 
settled  here  during  the  war,  and  no  records  remain 
of  the  proceedings  of  the  town  until  1710.  Yet 
during  this  long  struggle,  although  the  settlement 
was  nearly  deserted,  the  public  services  of  the 
church  were  not  neglected  in  their  distress  and 
care  for  self-preservation.  In  June,  1705,  the 
General  Court  granted  £26  to  the  town  for  the 
support  of  the  ministry  for  the  year  ensuing.(L) 
Who  was  the  minister  at  this  period  is  not  known 
certainly,  but  probably  it  was  Rev.  Samuel  Hunt, 
as  in  September,  1706,  he  was  desired  by  the 
Governor  and  Council  to  continue  at  Dunstable. 
by  the  following  order:  (2.) 

"Boston,  Sept.  4th.  1706.  I  am  ordered  by  his  Excel- 
lency the  Governor  and  Council  to  acquaint  you,  that  your 
service  as  minister  at  Dunstable  is  acceptable  to  them,  and 
desire  a  continuance  thereof,  and  they  will  endeavor  to 
promote  yr.  encouragement  by  the  General  Assembly  as 
formerly,  and  hope  they  will  be  prevailed  with  to  make  it 
better:  I  am  sir, 

your  humble  servant, 

ISAAC  ADDINGTO.N,  Sec'y.'" 

"Mr.  Samuel  Hunt,  Clerk." 

(1.)  Mass.  Ecclesiastical  Records,  1705. 

(2.)  Mass.  Ecclesiastical  Records,  1707.  page  239.  Mr.  Hunt 
graduated  at  Harvard  College,  1700. 


. 


-g 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  95 

Mr.  Hunt  continued  his  ministry  at  Dunstable 
until  the  spring  of  1707,  when  he  was  ordered  to 
accompany  the  expedition  against  Port  Royal  as 
Chaplain  of  the  forces,  as  appears  by  the  follow- 
ing petition,  (1.)  upon  which  the  sum  of  £18  was 
allowed : 

"  The  Petition  of  Samuel  Hunt,  Clerk,  shevveth: 
"  That  your  petitioner  has  served  as  minister  at  Dunsta- 
ble ever  since  the  fourth  of  Sept.  170G,  having  received  a 
signification  from  this  Honorable  Board,  under  the  hand  of 
Mr.  Secretary  Addington,  that  the  same  was  desired  by 
your  Excellency  and  Ilonorables ;  intimating  withal  that 
your  petitioner  should  have  the  same  encouragement  as 
formerly,  (or  better,)  which  your  petitioner  understood  to 
be  the  same  as  he  had  at  Casco  Bay,  which  WPS  fifty-two 
pounds  per  annum,  and  his  board.  And  on  the  23d  April 
last  past,  yr.  petitioner  was  dismissed  from  that  service  in 
order  to  go  to  Port  Royal,  when  he  had  served  33  weeks  at 
Duustable  aforesaid,  for  which  your  petitioner  has  not  yet 
received  any  salary — aud  yr.  petitioner  prays  that  the  same 
may  be  allowed  as  aforesaid.  SAMUEL  HUNT." 

"  Dec.  5,  1707." 

As  early  as  the  1st  of  October,  1708,  Rev. 
Samuel  Parris  commenced  preaching  in  Dunsta- 
ble, and  the  General  Court  granted  him  £20  per 
annum  for  three  years  or  more,  toward  his  sup- 
port. (2.)  He  remained  here  until  the  winter 
of  1711  or  the  spring  of  1712,  but  how  much 
longer  is  unknown.  Mr.  Parris  was  previously 
settled  at  Salem  village,  (or  Danvers)  and  in  his 
society  and  in  his  family,  it  is  said,  commenced 
the  famous  "Salem  Witchcraft "  delusion  of 
1691,  which  led  to  the  death  of  so  many  innocent 
persons,  and  which  filled  New  England  with 
alarm,  sorrow,  and  shame.  (3.) 

"Sept.  12,  1711.     [It  was]  agreed  upon  to  re- 

(1.)  Mass.  Ecclesiastical  Records,  1707,  page  239. 
(2.)  Mass.  Ecclesiastical  Records,  1709,  1710,  1711. 
(3.)   (Tpham's  Lectttres  on  the  Salem    Witchcraft.     Mr.  Parris 
died  in  Sudbury,  Mass. 

_ 


96  HISTORY    OF 


payr  the  meeting  house,  it  being  left  to  the  se- 
lectmen to  let  out  the  work,  and  take  care  for  the 
boards  and  nails." 

After  Mr.  Parris  left  Dunstable,  public  worship 
still  continued,  and  the  pulpit  was  supplied  con- 
stantly, for  in  June  1712,  the  General  Court  grant- 
ed "  £10  to  Dunstable  for  the  support  of  the  min- 
istry the  last  half  year,"  and  in  June  1713,  £10 
more  "  for  the  year  past."  This  is  the  last  record 
of  any  assistance  granted  to  the  town  by  the  col- 
ony. With  the  return  of  peace,  prosperity  smiled 
upon  the  settlement.  New  settlers  thronged  in, 
farms  were  extended,  and  the  inhabitants  were 
enabled  to  bear  their  own  burdens. 

In  1713,  Rev.  Ames  Cheever,  who  graduated 
at  Harvard  in  1707,  was  preaching  in  Dunstable. 
Nov.  20th,  1713,  it  was  voted,  "  that  the  resident 
proprietors  of  Dunstable  pay  Mr.  Cheever  £40 
a  year."  How  much  earlier  Mr  Cheever  com- 
menced his  labors  is  uncertain,  but  he  continued 
preaching  here  until  June,  1715,  at  which  time 
he  received  a  call.  "  At  a  General  Town  meet- 
ing of  the  Inhabitants  legally  warned,  at  Dun- 
stable,  on  June  the  6th,  1715,  Then  voted  and 
agreed,  that  Joseph  Blanchard  is  to  pay  to  Mr. 
Cheever  his  money  that  is  due  him,  and  upon 
discoursing  with  him,  if  he  seems  to  incline  to 
settle  with  us,  then  to  declare  to  him,  that  the 
Town  at  a  meeting  voted  that  they  would  readily 
consent  that  he  should  come  and  settle  with  us. 
and  have  the  same  encouragements  as  to  settle- 
ment and  salary  as  was  voted  him  at  our  last 
meeting  concerning  him.  Also,  voted  that  Jo- 
seph Blanchard  shall  deliver  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Short,  (Rev.  Matthew,  who  graduated  at  Har- 
vard, 1707)  or  some  other  minister,  to  come  and 
preach  with  us  for  some  time." 

In  those  days,  ministers  were  settled    for  life, 


SS- 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


97 


and  it  was  customary  for  the  Town  to  give  them 
a  ministerial  farm,  or  a  certain  sum  of  money  by 
way  of  deficit,  which  was  called  a  settlement. — 
He  received  an  annual  salary  in  addition.  This 
settlement  was  usually,  in  a  town  like  Dunsta- 
ble,  from  £80  to  £100  in  value,  while  the  salary 
ranged  from  £50  to  £100  per  annum. 

Mr.  Cheever,  however,  did  not  accept  the  call 
to  settle,  and  soon  after  a  Mr  Treat  was  preach- 
ing here.  "Nov.  2d,  1715,  it  was  voted  for  to 
desier  Mr.  Treat  to  continue  with  us  sum  time 
longer,  and  to  give  him  as  before,  which  was  20 
shillings  a  Sabbath.  Also,  voted  that  Sarg't 
Cumings  should  be  looking  out  for  a  minister 
in  order  for  settlement." 

"January  16th,  1717,  voted  that  Henry  Far- 
well  and  Sarg't  Cnmmings  are  to  endever  to  get 
a  minister  as  soon  as  they  can,  and  to  see  after 
Mr.  Weld's  place  (the  old  parsonage)  to  by  it 
if  it  be  to  be  had.  Also,  Joseph  French  is  to 
entertain  the  minister."  French  lived  at  the 
first  house  on  the  main  road  northerly  of  the 
State  line. 

;( 1st  May,  1717,  voted  that  there  be  a  day  of 
fast  kept  sum  time  this  instant  May.  Voted  that 
ye  15th  day  of  this  instant  May,  be  the  day  ap- 
pointed to  be  kept  as  a  day  of  Fast.  At  the  same 
time  Decon  Cumiugs  was  chosen  for  to  discourse 
Mr.  Stoder  (Rev.  Samson  Stoddard,  of  Chelms- 
ford,)  concerning  the^Fast."  This  was  a  fast 
ordained  by  Gov.  Shate,  (1.)  and  was,  probably, 
in  consequence  of  the  alarming  threats  and  dep- 
redations which  were  made  at  this  time,  by  some 
of  the  Indian  tribes  against  the  frontier  settle- 
ments. (2.) 

(1.)  1  Belknap,\86. 

(2.)  Penkallow.     1  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  89. 


98  HISTORY    OF 


"Sept.  26th,  1717,  voted  that  the  Rev.  Jona. 
Parepoint  [Peirpoint,  of  Reading,  Mass.,  grad. 
Harvard,  1714,]  should  have  a  call  in  order  for 
settlement.  Also,  voted  that  the  minister  should 
have  £80  a  year  salary,  and  one  hundred  pounds 
for  his  settlement.  Voted  that  Major  Eleazer 
Tyng  and  Ensign  Farwell  should  acquaint  Rev. 
Mr.  Pairpont  with  what  is  voted  at  this  meeting." 

This  call  was  equally  unsuccessful  with  the 
former,  and  "  Sept.  2d,  1718,  chose  a  committee 
to  go  to  discourse  with  Mr.  Coffin  [Enoch,  grad. 
Harvard,  1714,]  in  order  for  a  settlement."  It  is 
stated  by  Mr.  Farmer,  so  noted  for  his  accuracy, 
that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Prentice  was  settled  here  this 
year.  This  is  a  mistake,  and  the  same  error 
occurs  in  all  other  notices  of  Dunstable.  (1.) 

"  Dec.  1st,  1718,  voted  that  the  Rev.  Enoch 
Coffin  should  have  £80  a  year  salary  in  money. 
Also,  voted  to  give  him  land  which  cost  the 
town  £80,  and  ten  acres  of  meadow  for  his 
settlement ;  and  also  200  acres  of  the  common 
lands."  Both  the  church  and  the  town  unani- 
mously agreed  "  to  give  Rev.  Mr.  Enoch  Coffin 
a  call  to  be  our  settled  minister." 

It  would  seem  that  Mr.  Coffin  accepted  thecall, 
for  May  18th.  1719,  "a  committee  was  chosen 
with  Mr.  Coffin  to  lay  out  his  meadows,"  which 
were  offered  him  in  case  of  settlement,  and  dur- 
ing this  year,  in  the  records  of  land  laid  out,  he 
is  styled  the  present  minister  of  said  Town. — 
Something,  however,  occurred  to  prevent  his  legal 
ordination  at  that  time,  as  nearly  a  year  after, 
March  7th,  1720,  a  committee  was  chosen  "  to 
go  to  our  neighboring  ministers,  and  to  discourse 
them  all  in  order  for  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Coffin."  But  he  was  not  settled  at  all,  for  May 
20th,  1720,  "  a  committy  was  chosen  to  com- 

(1.)  1  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  150,  5.     109  Rev.  Mr.  Spcrry's  Sketch.. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


99 


pound  matters  with  Mr.  Coffin,  concerning  the 
Town's  settlement  money,  and  Mr.  Coffin's  offer 
to  the  Town  concerning  his  place." 

Mr.  Coffin  resided  here  for  some  time  with  his 
family,  and  Nov.  5th,  1719,  a  daughter,  Mehit- 
abel,  was  born.  He  left  town  June,  1720,  and 
returned  to  his  native  place.  Newbury,  Mass. — 
He  afterwards  went  as  chaplain  with  the  first 
band  of  settlers  to  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  settled 
there  May,  1726,  where  he  died  August  17th, 
1727,  aged  32.  (1.) 

The  Ecclesiastical  affairs  of  the  town  were  for 
many  years  involved  in  so  much  confusion  and 
difficulty,  as  almost  to  warrant  the  facetious  re- 
mark of  Col.  Taylor  to  Gov.  Burnet.  The  Gov- 
ernor, who  was  no  friend  to  long  graces  before 
meals,  on  his  first  journey  from  New  York  to  take 
upon  him  the  government  of  Massachusetts  and 
New  Hampshire,  enquired  of  Col.  Taylor  when 
the  graces  would  shorten.  He  replied,  a  The 
graces  will  increase  in  length  until  you  come  to 
Boston  :  after  that  they  will  shorten  until  you 
come  to  your  government  of  New  Hampshire, 
when  your  Excellency  will  find  no  grace  at  all." 
(2-) 

In  June,  1720,  Rev.  Nathaniel  Prentice  began 
to  preach  here.  Aug.  20th,  1720,  the  town  gave 
Mr.  Prentice  a  call,  with  the  offer  of  £100  set- 
tlement, and  £80  a  year  salary ;  but  warned  by 
their  premature  grants  of  land  to  Mr.  Coffin  be- 
fore ordination,  they  prudently  inserted  ^proviso, 
that  he  was  "not  to  enter  upon  said  £80  salary 
till  after  he  is  our  ordained  minister." 

Mr.  Prentice  accepted  the  call,  and  was  proba- 


(1.)  1  N.  H.Hist.  Coll.,  180. 
(2.)  I  Bellmap,223:  note. 


*9 


100  HISTORY    OF 


bly  ordained  during  the  fall  of  1720.  He  proba- 
bly claimed  a  larger  salary,  as  Nov.  13th,  1720, 
it  was  voted,  "  That  when  Mr.  Prentice  comes  to 
keep  house  and  have  a  family,  and  stands  in  need 
of  a  larger  supply,  then  to  ad  Reasonable  Ad- 
itions  to  his  salary,  if  onr  abilities  will  afford  it." 
They  also  voted,  Dec.  8th,  1720,  "  That  Mr. 
Prentice  after  marriage  should  have  a  sufficient 
supply  of  wood,  or  fen  pounds  of  passable  money 
in  lew  thereof  yearly"  He  was  soon  after  mar- 
ried to  Mary  Tyng,  of  Dunstable,  and  died  here, 
according  to  Mr.  Farmer,  Feb.  27th,  1737.  (1.) 
He  was  buried,  it  is  said,  in  the  old  south  bury- 
ing ground,  beside  his  children,  but  there  is  no 
monument  or  inscription  to  mark  the  place  of  his 
interment. 

Of  the  character  arid  talents  of  Mr  Prentice, 
we  have  little  information.  "  It  is  said  of  him/' 
says  Mr.  Sperry,  "  that  he  was  a  man  of  wit  and 
a  good  sermonizer."  That  he  was  popular  we 
may  conjecture  from  the  fact  that  the  people  here 
were  contented  under  his  preaching  for  so  many 
years,  and  additions  from  time  to  time  after  his 
settlement,  were  made  to  his  salary.  In  1730, 
and  perhaps  earlier,  <£90  were  raised  for  him  :  in 
1731  the  iwn  resident  taxes  added  :  in  1732  he 
received  £105  and  the  nonresident  taxes;  and 
in  1733  the  same.  The  town  also  voted  to  build 
a  new  meeting  house  near  the  old  one.  The 
value  of  money,  in  comparison  with  other  arti- 
cles, however,  had  then  depreciated  so  much,  in 
consequence  of  the  emission  of  large  quantities  of 
paper  money  by  the  Colony,  that  perhaps  his 
compensation  at  this  time  was  worth  little  more 
than  his  original  salary.  (2.)  This,  though  it 
may  seem  to  us  a  small  sum,  [£80,  or  $270.00] 


(1.)  Others  say  in  1735. 

(2.)  See  table  of  values  of  money  in  Appendix. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


101 


was  no  mean  salary  in  those  days,  when  the 
Colony  gave  the  Governor  but  £100  a  year,  and 
when  Portsmouth,  the  Capital,  and  which  had 
been  settled  a  century,  gave  its  minister  a  salary 
of  only  £130.  (1.) 

(1.)  Adams'  Annals  of  Portsmouth. 


CHAPTER  vii. 


INDIAN  ATTACK  OF  1724. 

THE  mournful  story  of  Indian  massacre  must 
now  be  resumed.  After  the  close  of  Queen 
Anne's  war,  by  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of 
peace  between  France  and  England,  at  Utrecht, 
a  treaty  was  made  with  the  Indians  at  Ports- 
mouth, N.  H.,  in  July,  1713.  and  quiet  reigned 
throughout  the  frontiers  for  many  years.  The 
emigrants  pushed  their  settlements  farther  and 
farther  into  the  wilderness,  and  the  smoke  curling 
up  from  many  a  cabin  along  the  green  hill  sides, 
and  in  the  rich  valleys,  gave  signs  of  advancing 
civilization.  The  distant  Indians,  however,  were 
still  hostile  and  treacherous,  although,  being  de- 
serted by  France,  they  were  compelled  to  make 
peace. 

In  1717  they  began  to  be  more  and  more  inso- 
lent, killing  the  cattle  and  threatening  the  lives 
of  the  settlers,  and  occasioned  so  much  alarm 
that  a  Fast  was  ordered.  These  outrages  were 
imputed  to  the  instigations  of  the  French  mis- 
sionaries, (the  Jesuits)  who  were  jealous  of  the 
growth  of  the  English  plantations.  In  August, 
1717,  however,  a  congress  was  held  with  them  at 
Arrowsick  on  the  Kennebec  River,  and  the  treaty 
of  1713  was  renewed.  (1.)  This  apparent  friend- 
ship lasted  but  a  short  time,  owing,  as  was  said, 

(1.)  Penhallow.     i  N.  H.  Hist.  Coil.,  89.     1  Belknap  189. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE.  &c.  103 

to  the  advice  of  Father  Rasle  and  the  Jesuits, 
for  in  1720  they  began  to  threaten  again,  and  in 
June,  1722,  attacked  the  settlement  at  Merry 
Meeting  Bay,  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake 
Winnepisiogee,  and  "  carried  off  nine  families." 

(1-) 

During  all  the  previous  Indian  wars.  Dunsta- 

ble  was  the  frontier  town,  and  therefore  exposed 
to  greater  dangers  than  its  more  interior  neigh- 
bors. Now  other  settlements  had  commenced 
beyond  us,  although  yet  in  their  infancy,  and  in- 
capable of  affording  much  protection.  As  early 
as  1710  settlements  were  made  in  Hudson.  Lon- 
donderry (then  called  Nutfield)  was  settled  in 
1719,  and  Litchfield  (then  called  Brenton's  Farm, 
or  by  its  ancient  Indian  name,  Naticook)  in  1720. 
Chester  was  also  settled  in  1720,  and  Merrimac 
and  Pelham  in  1722.  During  the  years  1722- 
3-4,  frequent  ravages  were  committed  and  much 
alarm  excited.  As  we  look  around  on  our  beau- 
tiful villages  and  thickly  peopled  towns,  we  can 
scarcely  realize  that  a  little  more  than  a  century 
ago  the  yell  of  the  Indian  was  heard  even  here, 
and  the  shriek  of  the  murdered  settler  went  up  to 
heaven  with  the  flames  of  his  desolated  home. 

In  the  summer  of  1723  the  Indians  attacked 
Dover  and  Lamprey  River,  and  fearing  an  attack 
upon  the  settlements  in  this  vicinity,  a  garrison 
of  thirty  men  was  posted  in  Dunstable.  It  was 
still  considered  a  frontier  town,  and  was  the  ren- 
dezvous of  all  the  scouting  parties  which  travers- 
ed the  valleys  of  the  Merrimack  and  the  Nashua. 
The  scouts  were  drafted  from  the  different  regi- 
ments, and  were  constantly  out  upon  excursions 
against  the  Indians.  In  Nov.  1723,  Capt.  Dan'l 
Peeker  arrived  at  Dunstabls  with  such  a  compa- 
ny from  Haverhill,  and  having  received  recruits 

(1.)  1  Belknap,ZO\. 

aa 


104  HISTORY    OF 


here,  marched  to  Penichook  brook,  Souhegan, 
Anconoonook  hills,  Piscataquog.  Amoskeag,  An- 
nahooksit,  Contookook,  Cohasset,  [GofFe's  Falls] 
and  Beaver  brook,  but  "  discovered  no  enemy." 
A  small  party  was  sent  out  by  him  "  under  the 
command  of  Jona.  Robbins  of  Dunstable,"  and 
were  gone  several  days  but  without  success.  (1.) 
At  the  same  time  a  company  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lt.  Jabez  Fairbanks  of  Groton,  was  also 
scouting  up  and  down  the  Nashua.  Tri  this  com- 
pany were  six  men  from  Dunstable;  viz:  Joseph 
Blanchard,  Thomas  Lund,  Isaac  Farwell,  Eben'r 
Cummings,  John  Usher,  and  Jonathan  Combs. 
Upon  a  petition  from  the  selectmen  of  the  town, 
stating  its  exposed  situation,  and  the  necessity 
that  they  should  be  allowed  to  stay  at  home  to 
guard  it,  they  were  all  discharged,  upon  the  con- 
dition, however,  that  they  should  perform  duty 
at  Dunstable.  (2.) 

January  19,  1724,  died  Hon.  Jonathan  Tyng, 
ag'ed  81.  He  was  the  oldest  son  of  Hon.  Edward 
Tyng,  and  was  born  Dec.  15,  1642.  He  was  one 
of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  town,  and  the 
earliest  permanent  settler,  having  remained  here. 
alone,  during  Philip's  war,  when  every  other  per- 
son had  deserted  the  settlement  for  fear  of  the  In- 
dians. That  he  was  a  man  of  much  energy  and 
decision  of  character  we  may  judge  from  this 
fact.  That  he  was  a  man  of  probity  and  of  con- 
siderable distinction  at  an  early  period,  we  may 
infer  from  his  appointment  as  Guardian  over  the 
Wamesit  Indians  in  1676.  and  from  the  numerous 
other  important  trusts  confided  to  him  from  time 
to  time  by  the  Colony. 

(I.)  Mass.  Records.     Journals  of  Scouts,  page  4~.     Robbins  was 
a  volunteer,  and  a  Lieutenant  under  Capt.  Lovewell  in  1723 
(2.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1723,  page  111  —  145. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  105 

In  1687,  he  was  appointed  (as  well  as  his  bro- 
ther, Edward  Tyng)  (1.)  in  the  royal  commis- 
sion of  James  II.  as  one  of  Sir  Edmund  Andres's 
Council.  In  1692  he  was  chosen  representative 
of  Dnnstable,  and  for  many  years  as  selectman, 
and  otherwise  was  much  engaged  in  the  public 
business  of  the  town.  For  many  years  during 
the  wars  of  1703,  he  was  Colonel  of  the  upper 
Middlesex  regiment,  and  was  entrusted  with  the 
care  of  all  the  garrisons  within  its  bounds. 

Col.  Tyng  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Heze- 
kiah  Usher,  who  died  in  1714.  After  her  death, 
he  married  Judith  Fox  of  Woburn,  who  died  June 
5th.  1736,  aged  99.  His  children  were,  1.  John, 
grad.  of  Harvard  College,  1691,  who  was  killed 
by  the  Indians  in  1710  ;  2.  William,  born  22d. 
April,  1679,  the  first  child  born  in  town  ;  3.  Elea- 
zar,  grad.  of  Harvard  College,  1712;  4.  Mary, 
who  married  Rev.  Nathaniel  Prentice,  minister  of 
the  town  ;  and  others  who  died  at  an  early  age. 

In  the  winter  and  spring  of  172-1,  Lieut.  Fair- 
banks and  his  company  were  scouting  about 
"Nashuway  River,"  "  Nisitisit  Hills,"  "The 
Mines,"  or  Mine  Falls,  "  Penichuck  Pond.' 
"  Naticook,"  "  Souheganock,"  "  Nesenkeag," 
"  Dunstable  meeting  house,"  and  other  places  in 
this  vicinity.  In  May,  1724,  men  were  at  work 
planting  both  north  and  west  of  Nashua  river, 
and  a  part  of  this  company  were  posted  here  as 
a  garrison.  (2.) 

(1.)  Edward  Tyng  was  appointed  Governor  of  Annapolis,  but 
sailing  for  it,  was  taken  prisoner  and  carried  into  France  where  lie 
died.  His  children  were  ; — 1.  Edward,  a  brave  naval  commander, 
born  1683  and  died  at  Boston  8th.  Sept.  1755.  2.  Jonathan,  who 
died  young.  3.  Mary,  who  married  Rev.  John  Fox  of  Woburn. 
4.  Elizabeth,  who  married  a  brother  of  Dr.  Franklin.  Edward  Tyng 
was  a  Lieutenant  in  the  great  Narraganset  swamp  fight,  Dec.  19, 
1675,  and  commanded  the  company  after  Capt.  Davenport  was  killed. 

(2.)  Mass.  Records.    Journal  of  Scouts,  page  51. 


106  HISTORY  OF 


In  August,  1724,  the  English  sent  a  body  of 
troops  to  attack  the  Indian  town  at  Norridge- 
wock,  Me.  The  town  was  surprised,  and  a  large 
number  of  Indians  slain,  together  with  Father 
Rasle,  the  Jesuit,  their  priest,  who  was  considered 
by  the  English  as  the  instigator  of  all  these  out- 
rages. By  this  attack  the  Eastern  Indians  were 
much  alarmed  and  weakened.  But  about  this 
time  a  party  of  French  Mohawks,  to  the  number 
of  70,  made  an  incursion  into  this  neighborhood. 
"  Sept.  4th  they  fell  on  Dunstable,  and  took  two 
in  the  evening.  Next  morning  Lt.  French  with 
Fourteen  men  went  in  pursuit  of  them,  but  being 
way-laid,  both  he  and  one  half  of  his  men  were 
destroyed.  After  this  as  many  more  of  a  fresh 
company  engaged  them,  but  the  enemy  being 
much  superior  in  number,  overpowered  them, 
with  the  loss  of  one  man  killed  and  four  wound- 
ed." (1.)  A  more  particular  account  of  this 
mournful  event  has  been  preserved  and  collected 
from  various  sources  with  much  care  and  labor. 
It  must  prove  interesting,  at  least  to  the  descend- 
ants of  the  actors  in  these  scenes,  many  of  whom 
still  reside  among  us,  and  may  serve  to  make  us 
all  realize  more  fully  the  nature,  extent,  and 
worth  of  the  sufferings  of  those  into  whose  labors 
we  have  entered. 

"The  two  captives  mentioned  above  were 
Nathan  Cross  and  Thos.  Blanchard.  (2.)  They 
had  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  turpen- 
tine on  the  north  side  of  the  Nashua,  in  Nashville, 
near  the  spot  where  the  upper  part  of  the  village 
now  stands,  and  were  seized  while  at  work  and 
carried  oft*  by  the  Indians.  As  there  were  at 
that  time  no  houses  or  settlements  on  that  side 

(1.)  Penkallow.     1  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  109. 
(2.)  A  Grand-daughter  of  Thomas  Blanchard,  Mrs.  Isaac  Foot — 
is  still  living. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,   &C.  107 

of  Nashua  River  at  that  place,  these  men  had 
been  in  habit  of  returning  every  night  to  lodge 
in  a  saw  mill  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  — 
This  mill  was  probably  John  Lovewell's,  which 
stood  on  Salmon  Brook  at  the  bridge,  by  the 
house  of  Miss  Allds,  the  mud  sills  of  which  are 
now  visible.  The  night  following  their  capture 
they  came  not  as  usual,  and  an  alarm  was  given, 
as  it  was  feared  they  had  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  Indians. 

•'A  party  consisting  of  ten  of  the  principal  in- 
habitants of  the  place,  beside  their  leader,  started 
in  pursuit  of  them,  under  the  direction  of  Lieut. 
Ebenezer  French.  In  this  company  was  Josiah 
Far  well,  who  was  next  year  Lieutenant  at  Pe- 
quawkett  under  Lovewell.  When  this  party  ar- 
rived at  the  spot  where  these  men  had  been  la- 
boring, they  found  the  hoops  of  the  barrels  cut 
and  the  turpentine  spread  upon  the  ground.  — 
From  certain  marks  made  upon  the  trees  with 
wax  mixed  with  grease,  they  understood  that  the 
men  were  taken  and  carried  off  alive. 

"In  the  course  of  the  examination,  Farwell 
perceived  that  the  turpentine  had  not  ceased 
spreading,  and  called  the  attention  of  his  com- 
rades to  this  circumstance.  They  concluded  that 
the  Indians  had  been  gone  but  a  short  time,  and 
must  be  near,  and  decided  on  instant  pursuit.  — 
Farwell  advised  them  to  take  a  circuitous  route 
to  avoid  an  ambush  ;  but  unfortunately  he  and 
French  a  short  time  before  had  a  misunderstand- 
ing, and  were  then  at  variance.  French  imputed 
this  advice  to  cowardice,  and  cried  out,  "I  am 
going  to  take  the  direct  path  :  if  any  of  you  are 
not  afraid  let  him  follow  me."  French  led  the 
way  and  the  whole  of  the  party  followed,  Far- 
well  following  in  the  rear. 

"Their   route  was'  up  the   Merrimac,  towards 


108  HISTORY   OF 


which  they  bent  their  course  to  look  for  their 
horses  upon  the  intervals.  At  the  brook  (1.)  near 
Satwych's  [now  Thornton's]  Ferry  they  were 
way-laid.  The  Indians  fired  upon  them  and 
killed  the  larger  part  instantly.  A  few  fled,  but 
were  overtaken  and  destroyed.  French  was 
killed  about  a  mile  from  the  place  of  action  under 
an  oak  tree  lately  standing  in  a  field  belonging 
to  Mr.  John  Lund,  of  Merrimac.  Farwell  in 
the  rear,  seeing  those  before  him  fall,  sprung  be- 
hind a  tree,  discharged  his  piece,  and  ran.  Two 
Indians  pursued  him.  The  chase  was  vigorously 
maintained  for  some  time,  without  either  gaining 
much  advantage,  till  Farwell  passing  through  a 
thicket,  the  Indians  lost  sight  of  him,  and  proba- 
bly fearing  he  might  have  loaded  again,  they  de- 
serted from  farther  pursuit.  He  was  the  only 
one  of  the  company  that  escaped. 

"  A  company  from  the  neighborhood  immedi- 
ately mustered,  and  proceeded  to  the  fatal  spot 
to  find  the  bodies  of  their  friends  and  townsmen. 
Eight  of  them  were  found  and  conveyed  to  the 
burying  place.  '  Coffins  were  prepared  for  them, 
and  they  were  decently  interred  in  one  capacious 
grave.'  The  names  of  these  persons  given 
in  the  Boston  News  Letter,  were  Lt.  Ebenezer 
French,  Thomas  Lund,  Oliver  Farwell  and  Eb- 
enezer Cummings,  who  belonged  to  Dunstable, 
and  all  of  whom,  excepting  the  last,  left  widows 
and  children,  Daniel  Baldwin  and  John  Bur- 
bank,  of  Woburn,  and  Mr.  Johnson,  of  Plain- 
field." 

Cross  and  Blanchard,  the  first  named,  were 
carried  to  Canada ;  after  remaining  there  some 
time  they  succeeded,  by  their  own  exertions,  in 

(1 .)  Naticook  Brook,  the  stream  which  crosses  the  road  just  above 
Thornton's.  The  scene  of  the  amb.ush  must  have  been  near  the 
present  highway. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


109 


jk 


effecting  their  redemption,  and  returned   home." 

a) 

The  place  of  their  interment  was  the  ancient 
Burial  Ground  near  the  State  line,  in  which  there 
is  a  monument  still  standing,  with  the  following 
inscription,  copied  verbatim  et  literatim. 

"Memento  Mori. 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Mr  Thomas  Lund 
who  departed  this  life  Sept.  5th  1724  in  the 

42d  year  of  his  age. 
This  man  with  seven  more  that  lies  in 
this  grave  was  slew  all  in  a  day  by 

The  Indians." 

Three  other  grave  stones  stand  close  beside  the 
above,  very  ancient,  moss  covered  and  almost 
illegible.  One  was  erected  to  "  Lt.  Oliver  Far- 
welj,  aged  33  years";  one  to  "Mr  Ebenezer 
Cummings,  aged  29  years",  and  one  to  "Mr 
Benjamin  Carter,  aged  23  years  ". 

It  is  related  by  Penhallow,  that  after  the  first 
attack  "a  fresh  company  engaged  them  "  but 
were  overpowered  "  with  the  loss  of  one  killed 
and  four  wounded."  The  Indians,  elated  with 
their  success,  moved  forward  to  Nashua  River, 
and  this  second  fight  is  said  to  have  taken  place 
at  the  ancient  fordway,  where  the  highway 
crossed  the  Nashua,  and  very  near  its  mouth.  — 
It  was  probably  at  this  time  that  the  circum- 
stance occurred  which  has  given  to  that  portion 
of  the  village  its  name.  Tradition  reports  that 
the  Indians  were  on  the  north  side  of  the  river 
and  the  English  on  the  south,  and  that  after  the 
fight  had  lasted  a  long  time  across  the  stream 
without  decisive  result,  both  parties  drew  off,  and 
that  after  the  Indians  had  departed,  upon  a  large 
tree  which  stood  by  the  river  side,  near  the  Con- 

(l.)  1  Bslknap,  207  :  note.  Manuscript  corrections  thereof  by 
John  Farmer,  Esq.,  in  the  possession  of  Isaac  Spalding,  Esq. 


110 


--S. 


HISTORY    OF 


cord  Railroad  Bridge,  the  figure  of  an  Indian's 
Head  was  found  carved  by  them,  as  if  in  defi- 
ance. Such  was  the  origin  of  "  INDIAN  HEAD.'' 

There  is  another  version  of  the  account,  in- 
deed, which  relates,  that  a  fight  once  took  place 
there  between  the  whites  and  the  Indians;  that 
the  latter  were  defeated,  and  all  of  them  supposed 
to  be  slain ;  but  that  one  escaped,  and  carved 
upon  a  tree  The  Indian  Head  as  a  taunt  and  a 
threat  of  vengeance. 

Sometime  during  this  year,  William  Lund, 
''being  in  the  service  of  his  country,  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Indian  enemy  and  carried  into 
captivity,  where  he  suffered  great  hardships  and 
was  obliged  to  pay  a  great  price  for  his  ransom." 
The  time,  place  and  circumstances  of  his  cap- 
ture and  return  are  not  known,  and  this  brief  rec- 
ord is  all  that  remains.  (1.) 

(1.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1734. 


LOVE  WELL'S  WAR  AND  LOVE  WELL'S  FIGHT. 

IN  consequence  of  this  attack,  and  of  the  de- 
vastation everywhere  committed  by  the  Indians, 
John  Love  well,  Josiah  Farwell  and  Jonathan 
Robbins  petitioned  the  General  Assembly  of 
Massachusetts  for  leave  to  raise  a  company,  and 
to  scout  against  the  Indians.  The  original  peti- 
tion, signed  by  them,  is  still  on  file  in  the  office 
of  the  Secretary  of  State  in.  Boston,  and  is  as 
follows : 

"  The  Humble  memorial  of  John  Lovel,  Jos'iah  Farwell, 
Jonathan  Robbins,  all  of  Dunstable,  sheweth  : 

"  That  your  petitioners,  with  near  forty  or  fifty  others, 
are  inclinable  to  range  and  to  keep  out  in  the  woods  for 
several  months  together,  in  order  to  kill  and  destroy  their 
enemy  Indians,  provided  they  ran  meet  with  Incourage- 
ment  suitable.  And  your  Petitioners  are  Imployedand 
desired  by  many  others,  Humbly  to  propose  and  submit 
to  your  Honors'  consideration,  that  if  such  solders  may 
be  allowed  five  shillings  per  day,  in  case  they  kill  any 
enemy  Indian  and  possess  their  scalp,  thej  will  Irnploy 
themselves  in  Indian  hunting  one  wlifte  year;  and  if 
within  that  time  they  do  not  kill  any,  they  are  content 
to  be  allowed  nothing  for  their  wagerf,  time,  and  trouble. 

JOHN  LOVEWELL. 
JOSIAH  FARWELL. 
Dunstable  Nov.  1724.  JONATHAN  ROBBINS." 

Lovewell  was  a  man  of  great  courage  and  fond 
of  engaging  in  adventurous  enterprises.  He  was 
particularly  successful  in  hunting  wild  animals, 
and  in  time  of  war  was  engaged  in  exploring  the 
wilderness  to  find  the  lurking  places  of  the  In- 

""  *Tn 


112 


HISTORY  OF 


dians  who  ravaged  the  settlements  in  New  Eng- 
land. His  father,  it  is  said,  had  been  an  ensign 
in  the  army  of  Cromwell,  and  a  soldier  under  the 
famous  Capt.  Church  in  the  great  Narraganset 
Swamp  fight,  and  his  sons  inherited  his  military 
taste  and  ardor.  This  petition  was  granted, 
changing  the  conditions  into  a  bounty  of  £100 
per  scalp.  The  company  was  raised  and  a  com- 
mission of  Captain  given  to  Lovewell.  They 
became  greatly  distinguished,  first  by  their  suc- 
cess, and  afterwards  by  their  misfortunes. 

Lovewell  was  then  in  the  prime  of  life,  and 
burning  with  zeal  to  distinguish  himself.  With 
his  company  of  picked  men  he  started  upon  an 
excursion  into  the  Indian  country.  The  head 
quarters  of  the  Pequawketts,  a  fierce  arid  dan- 
gerous tribe,  were  in  the  region  between  Lake 
Winnepiseogee  and  the  pond  in  Fryeburg,  Me., 
since  knovvn  as  "  LovewelFs  Pond."  It  was 
called  Pequawkett,  is  filled  with  lakes,  ponds  and 
streams  affording  excellent  fishing  and  hunting, 
and  embraces  the  present  towns  of  Conway, 
Wakefield,  Ossipee,  Fryeburg,  &c.  Dec.  10th. 
1724,  while  northward  of  Lake  Winnepiseogee, 
the  party  came  "on  a  wigwam  wherein  were 
two  Indians,  one  of  which  they  killed  and  the 
other  took,  for  which  they  received  the  promised 
bounty  of  on«  hundred  pounds  a  scalp,  and  two 
shillings  and  six;  pence  a  day  besides."  (1.) 

Other  similar  expeditions  had  been  attempted, 
but  without  much  success.  Some  had  fallen  into 
ambuscades,  and  some  after  long  and  dangerous 
journeys  through  the  pathless  wilderness  had  re- 
turned without  meeting  at\  enemy.  But  the 
success  of  Capt.  Lovewell  roused  their  spirits, 
and  he  determined  upon  another  excursion.  This 


(1.)  Penhallow.     1  A.  H.  Hist.  Coll.  100.     l  Belknap,20S. 


'    —  •    '       •      g 

NASHUA,    NASHVILLE.    &C.  113 

company  was  soon  augmented  to  eighty-eight 
(1.)  He  marched  again,  February,  1725,  and 
visiting  the  place  where  they  had  killed  the  In- 
dian, found  his  body  as  they  had  left  it  two 
months  before.  Their  provisions  falling  short, 
thirty  of  them  were  dismissed  by  lot  and  return- 
ed home. 

The  remaining  fifty-eight  continued  their 
march  till  they  discovered  a  track,  which  they 
followed  until  they  saw  a  smoke  jnst  before 
sunset,  by  which  they  judged  that  the  enemy 
were  encamped  for  the  night.  This  was 
February  20th.  1725.  "They  kept  them- 
selves concealed  till  after  midnight,  when  they 
silently  advanced  and  discovered  ten  Indians 
asleep  around  a  fire  by  the  side  of  a  frozen 
pond.  Love  we  II  was  determined  to  make  sure 
work,  and  placing  his  men  conveniently,  or- 
dered a  part  of  them  to  fire,  five  at  once,  as 
quick  after  each  other  as  possible,  and  another 
part  to  reserve  their  fire.  He  gave  the  signal  by 
firing  his  own  gun,  which  killed  two  of  them. 
His  men  firing  according  to  order  killed  five  more 
on  the  spot.  The  other  three  starting  up  from 
their  sleep,  two  of  them  were  immediately  shot 
dead  by  the  reserve.  The  other  though  wound- 
ed attempted  to  escape  by  crossing  the  pond,  but 
was  seized  by  a  dog  and  held  fast  till  they  killed 
him. 

<;  Thus  in  a  few  minutes  the  whole  company 
was  destroyed,  and  some  attempt  against  the 
frontiers  of  New  Hampshire  prevented  ;  for  these 
Indians  were  making  from  Canada  well  furnish- 
ed with  new  guns,  and  plenty  of  ammunition. — 
They  had  also  a  number  of  spare  blankets, 
mockaseens  and  snow-shoes,  for  the  accommo- 

(1.)  So  says  Report  oi'  Committees  on  the  sufij'ect  in  Mass.  Rec- 
ords— Towns.  1728. 


114 


HtSTOKY    OF 


which  they  expected  to 
two   days'  march  of  the 


dation  of  the  prisoners 
take,  and  were  within 
frontiers. 

"  The  pond  where  this  exploit  was  performed 
is  at  the  head  of  a  branch  of  Salmon  Falls  River, 
in  the  township  of  Wakefield,  and  has  ever  since 
borne  the  name  of  Lovswetl's  Pond."  "The 
action  is  spoken  of  by  elderly  people  at  this  dis- 
tance of  time,"  says  Belknap  in  1790,  from 
whom  the  above  is  chiefly  taken,  "  with  an  air 
of  exultation,  and  considering  the  extreme  diffi- 
culty of  finding  and  attacking  Indians  in  the 
woods,  and  the  judicious  manner  in  which  they 
were  so  completely  surprised,  it  was  a  capital 
exploit." 

"  The  brave  company,  with  the  ten  scalps 
stretched  on  hoops  and  elevated  on  poles,  entered 
Dover  in  triumph,  and  proceeded  thence  to  Bos- 
ton, where  they  received  the  promised  bounty  of 
one  hundred  pounds  for  each  scalp  out  of  the 
public  treasury."  (1.) 

Penhallow  adds  that  "the  guns  were  so  good 
and  new  that  most  of  them  were  sold  for  seven 
pounds  ($23.33)  a  piece.  The  plunder  was  but 
a  few  skins,  but  during  the  march  our  men  were 
well  entertained  with  moose,  bear  and  deer,  to- 
gether with  salmon  trout,  some  of  which  were 
three  feet  long,  and  weighed  twelve  pounds  a 
piece."  (2.)  Scarcely  had  Lovewell  returned 
from  this  successful  excursion,  when  Capt.  Elea- 
zar  Tyng  of  this  town,  collecting  a  large  com- 
pany of  volunteers,  many  of  them  also  from  this 

(I.)  Relknap,  208.  The  original  journal  of  this  expedition,  in 
Lovewell's  hand  writing,  is  still  preserved  among  the  papers  in  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  at  Boston.  Many  of  the  company 
were  from  this  town,  but  the  names  of  few  have  heen  preserved. — 
Beside  the  officers  already  named,  and  those  who  accompanied  them 
to  Pequawkett,  were  Zaccheus  LoveWell,  Thos.  Culliurn,  Peter 
Powers,  Josiah  Cmnmin^s,  Henry  Farwell,  Win.  Avers. 

(-2.)  1  .V. //.  IRat.  Coll.  113.     ' 


==* 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  115 

town,  marched  into  the  wilderness.  They  scout- 
ed around  Pemigewasset  river  and  Winnepiseo- 
gee  lake  for  a  month  but  returned  without  accom- 
plishing any  thing.  (1.) 

"  Encouraged  by  his  former  success,  and  ani- 
mated still,"  as  Penhallow  says,  "  with  an  un- 
common zeal  of  doing  what  service  he  could," 
Lovewell  marched  a  third  time  into  the  wilder- 
ness, intending  to  attack  the  Pequawketts  in  their 
head-quarters  on  Saco  River.  Just  before  he  left, 
it  is  said,  that  being  at  a  house  in  what  is  now 
Nashua,  he  was  warned  to  be  upon  his  guard 
against  the  ambuscades  of  the  enemy.  He  re- 
plied, "That  he  did  not  care  for  them,"  and 
bending  down  a  small  elm  beside  which  he  was 
standing  into  a  bow,  declared  "  that  he  would 
treat  the  Indians  in  the  same  way."  This  elm 
is  still  standing,  a  venerable  and  magnificent 
tree. 

He  set  out  from  Dunstable  with  46  men,  includ- 
a  chaplain  and  surgeon.  Two  of  them  proving 
lame  returned.  Another  falling  sick,  they  halted 
and  built  a  fort  fortified  by  pointed  stakes, 
on  the  west  side  of  Ossipee  Pond.  Here  the 
surgeon  was  left  with  the  sick  man,  and  eight  of 
the  number  for  a  guard.  The  number  of  the 
company  was  now  reduced  to  thirty-four.  (2.) 

"  The  names  of  this  brave  company  are  worthy 
of  preservation,  and  their  numerous  descendants 
may  trace  back  their  descent  to  such  ancestry 
with  pride.  They  were  Capt.  John  Lovewell, 
Lt.  JosiahFarwell,  Lt.  Jonathan  Kobbins,  En- 
sign John  Harwood,  Ensign  Noah  Johnson,  Rob- 
ert Usher  and  Saml.  Whiting,  all  of  Dunstable; 

(1.)  Mass.  Records.     Tyng's  Journal,  1725. 

(2.)  The  report  of  the  committee  upon  Lovewell's  tour  says  that 
he  started  with  47  men,  3  of  whom  returned  home  sick  and  lame.  — 
Military  Records  and  tour,  1728.  They  had  his  muster  roll  before 
them. 


Jg 


=-     '  • '        •  — » 

116  HISTORY    OF 

Ensign  Seth  Wytnan,  Corporal  Thos.  Richard- 
son. Timothy  Richardson.  Ichabod  Johnson  and 
Josiah  Johnson  of  Woburn ;  Eleazer  Davis,  Jo- 
seph Farrar,  Josiah  Davis,  Josiah  Jones,  David 
Melvin,  Eleazer  Melvin  and  Jacob  Farrar  of 
Concord;  Chaplain  Jonathan  Frye  of  Andover ; 
Sarg't  Jacob  Fullam  of  Weston  ;  Corporal  Ed- 
ward Lingfield  of  Nutfield,  (now  Londonderry;) 
Jonathan  Kittredge  and  Solomon  Keyes  of  Bil- 
lerica ;  John  Teffts,  Daniel  Woods,  Thomas 
Woods,  John  Chamberlain.  Elias  Barson,  Isaac 
Lakin  and  Joseph  Gilson  of  Groton  ;  Abiel  As- 
ten  and  Ebenezer  Alger  of  Haverhill,  and  one 
who  deserted  them  in  battle,  and  whose  name 
has  been  considered  unworthy  of  being  trans- 
mitted to  posterity." 

"  Pursuing  their  inarch  northward  they  came 
to  a  pond  about  twenty-two  miles  distant  from 
the  fort,  and  encamped  by  the  side  of  it.  Early 
the  next  morning  May  Sth.  1725,  (May  19th. 
New  Style,)  while  at  their  devotions  they  heard 
the  report  of  a  gun,  and  discovered  a  single  In- 
dian standing  on  a  point  of  land  which  runs  into 
the  pond  more  than  a  mile  distant.  They  had 
been  alarmed  the  preceding  night  by  noises  round 
their  camp,  which  they  imagined  were  made  by 
Indians,  and  this  opinion  was  now  strengthened. 
They  suspected  that  the  Indian  was  there  to 
decoy  them,  and  that  a  body  of  the  enemy  was 
in  their  front. 

A  consultation  being  held  they  determined  to 
march  forward,  and  by  encompassing  the  pond, 
to  gain  the  place  where  the  Indian  stood.  That 
they  might  be  ready  for  action  they  disencum- 
bered themselves  of  their  packs,  and  left  them 
without  guard  at  the  northeast  end  of  the  pond, 
in  a  pitch  pine  plain,  where  the  trees  were  thin, 
and  the  brakes  at  that  time  of  the  year  small.'' 

a 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  117 

Penhallow  adds  that  fearing  a  snare,  "  the  Cap- 
tain calling  his  men  together,  proposed,  whether 
it  was  best  to  engage  them  or  not?"  They  bold- 
ly replied,  "  That  as  they  had  come  out  on  pur- 
pose to  meet  the  enemy,  they  would  rather  trust 
Providence  with  their  lives  and  die  for  their 
country,  than  return  without  seeing  them"  Upon 
this  they  proceeded."  (1.) 

"  It  happened  that  Lovewell's  march  had 
crossed  a  carrying  place,  by  which  two  parties 
of  Indians,  consisting  of  forty-one  each,  com- 
manded by  Paugus  and  Wawha,  who  had  been 
scouting  down  Saco  river,  were  returning  to  the 
lower  village  of  Pequawkett,  distant  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  this  pond.  Having  fallen 
on  this  track  they  followed  it  till  they  came  to 
the  packs  which  they  removed,  and  counting 
them  found  the  number  of  his  men  to  be  less  than 
their  own.  They  therefore  placed  themselves 
in  ambush  to  attack  them  on  their  return.  The 
Indian  who  stood  on  the  point,  and  who  was  re- 
turning to  the  village  by  another  path,  met  them 
and  received  their  fire,  which  he  returned  and 
wounded  Farwell  and  another  with  small  shot. 
Lieut.  Wyman  firing  again  killed  him  and  they 
took  his  scalp. 

"Seeing  no  other  enemy  they  returned  to  the 
place  where  they  had  left  their  packs,  and  while 
they  were  looking  for  them  the  Indians  rose  and 
ran  towards  them  with  a  horrid  yelling.  A 
smart  firing  commenced  on  both  sides,  it  being 
about  ten  of  the  clock.  Capt.  Lovewell  and  eight 
more  were  killed  on  the  spot.  Lieut.  Farwell 
and  two  others  were  wounded.  Several  of  the 
Indians  fell,  but  being  superior  in  numbers  they 
endeavored  to  surround  the  party,  who  perceiv- 

(I.)  1  N.H.Hist.  Coll.,  114. 


" 


118 


HISTORY    OF 


ing  their  intention,  retreated  hoping  to  reach  a 
shelter  behind  a  point  of  rocks  which  ran  into 
the  pond,  and  a  few  large  pine  trees  standing  on 
a  sandy  beach.  In  this  forlorn  place  they  took 
their  station.  On  their  right  was  the  mouth  of  a 
brook  at  that  time  mifordable  ;  on  their  left  was 
the  rocky  point.  Their  front  was  partly  covered 
with  a  deep  bog,  and  partly  uncovered,  and  the 
pond  was  in  the  rear.  The  enemy  galled  them 
in  front  and  in  flank,  and  had  them  so  completely 
in  their  power,  that  had  they  made  a  prudent  use 
of  their  advantage,  the  whole  company  must 
either  have  been  killed  or  obliged  to  surrender  at 
discretion,  being  destitute  of  a  mouthful  of  sus- 
tenance, and  esrape  being  impracticable. 

"  Under  the  conduct  of  Lieut.  Wyman,  they 
kept  up  their  fire,  and  shewed  a  resolute  counte- 
nance all  the  remainder  of  the  day,  during  which 
their  Chaplain,  Jonathan  Frye,  Ensign  Robbins, 
and  one  more  were  mortally  wounded.  The 
Indians  invited  them  to  surrender  by  holding  up 
ropes  to  them,  and  endeavored  to  intimidate  them 
by  their  hideous  yells,  but  they  determined  to  die 
rather  than  to  yield.  By  their  well  directed  fire 
the  number  of  the  savages  was  thinned,  and 
their  cries  became  fainter,  till  just  before  night 
they  quilted  their  advantageous  ground,  carrying 
oft'  their  killed  and  wounded,  and  leaving  the 
dead  bodies  of  Love  well  and  his  men  nnscalped. 
The  shattered  remnant  of  this  brave  company 
collected  themselves  together,  and  found  three 
of  their  number  unable  to  move  from  the  spot : 
eleven  wounded,  but  able  to  march;  and  nine 
only  who  had  received  no  hurt.  All  the  rest. 
eleven  in  number,  were  slain. 

"It  was  melancholy  to  leave  their  dying  com- 
panions behind,  but  there  was  no  possibility  of 


=5* 


N4SHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  119 


removing  them.  One  of  them,  Ensign  Robbins, 
(1.)  desired  them  to  lay  his  gun  by  him  charged, 
that  if  the  Indians  should  return  before  his  death, 
he  might  be  able  to  kill  one  more.  After  the 
rising  of  the  moon  they  quitted  the  fatal  spot, 
and  directed  their  march  towards  the  Fort,  where 
the  surgeon  and  guard  had  been  left.  To  their 
great  surprise  they  found  it  deserted.  In  the 
beginning  of  the  action  one  man  (whose  name 
has  not  been  thought  worthy  to  be  transmitted,) 
quitted  the  field,  and  fled  to  the  Fort.  Here,  in 
the  style  of  Job's  messengers,  he  informed 
them  of  Lovewell's  death,  and  the  defeat  of  the 
whole  company,  upon  which  they  made  the  best 
of  their  way  home,  leaving  a  quantity  of  bread 
and  pork,  which  was  a  seasonable  relief  to  the 
retreating  survivors." 

The  fate  of  the  survivors  was  scarcely  less 
pitiable  than  that  of  the  dead.  "  Lieutenant 
Farwell,  (of  Dunstable)  and  the  Chaplain,  who 
had  the  journal  of  the  march  in  his  pocket, 
perished  in  the  woods  for  want  of  dressing  their 
wounds.  Mr.  Frye  languished  three  days  and 
died."  "  He  was  a  very  worthy  and  promising 
young  man,"  says  Penhallow,  "  and  graduated 
at  Harvard  College  in  1733."  "Mr.  Farwell 
held  out  until  the  eleventh  day,  during  which 
time  he  had  nothing  to  eat  but  water  and  a  few 
roots  which  he  chewed."  Josiah  Jones  "after 
long  fatigue  and  hardships  got  safe  into  Saco." 
Solomon  Keyes  "being  wounded  in  three  places, 
lost  so  much  blood  as  disabled  him  to  stand  any 
longer;  but  by  a  strange  Providence,  as  he  was 
creeping  away,  he  saw  a  canoe  in  the  pond  which 
he  rolled  himself  into,  and  by  a  favorable  wind, 
without  any  assistance  of  his  own,  was  driven 
so  many  miles  on,  that  he  got  safe  into  the  Fort. 

(iTJTlobbins  lived  on  Long  Hill,  in  the  south  part  of  Nashua. 

' 


11 


H= 

120  HISTORY    OF 


Eleazer  Davis  was  the  last  that  got  in,  who  after 
wandering  about  many  days,  and  being  nearly 
famished,  came  at  last  to  Berwick,  and  thence  to 
Portsmouth.  The  others,  after  enduring  the  most 
severe  hardships,  and  meeting  many  providen- 
tial escapes,  came  in  one  after  another.  They 
were  received  not  only  with  joy,  but  were  recom- 
pensed for  their  valor  and  sufferings,  and  a  gen- 
erous provision  was  made  for  the  widows  and 
children  of  the  slain. 

"  Mr.  Wyman,  who  distinguished  himself  in 
such  a  signal  manner,  was  at  his  return,  presen- 
ted with  a  Captain's  commission.  Edward  Ling- 
field  was  also  made  an  Ensign,  and  the  General 
Assembly  gave  the  sum  of  fifteen  hundred  pounds 
to  the  widows  and  orphans."  (1.) 

"In  1  Samuel,  xxxi.  Chap.,  11,  12,  13  verses," 
says  Penhallow,  "  it  is  recorded  in  the  immortal 
honor  of  the  men  of  Jabesh-gilead,  that  when 
some  of  their  renowned  heroes  fell  by  the  hands 
of  the  Philistines,  they  prepared  a  decent  burial 
for  their  bodies.  Now  so  soon  as  the  report 
came  of  Capt.  Lovewetl's  defeat,  about  fifty  men 
from  .New  Hampshire,  well  equipped,  marched 
into  Pequawkett  for  the  like  end,  but  were  not 
so  happy  as  to  find  them.  (2.)  But  in  the  Spring 
another  company  from  Dunstable,  under  the 
command  of  Col.  (Eleazer)  Tyng,  went  to  the 
scene  of  the  action,  and  having  found  the  bodies 
of  twelve,  buried  them,  and  carved  their  names 
upon  the  trees  where  the  battle  was  fought. — 
At  a  little  distance  they  found  the  Indian  graves 
which  he  opened,  in  one  of  which  he  found  the 
celebrated  warrior,  PAUGUS,  "  a  vile  and  bloody 
wretch,"  as  Penhallow  mildly  adds. 

~~(T)~PenAai^.     rN7~HTHisL~^ll.,iW. 

(2.)  Under  Capt.  Joseph  Blanchard,  of  this  town,  in  July,  1725. 
Mass.  Military  Records,  1725. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  121 

The  news  of  Lovewell's  de/eat  and  death 
reached  Dimstable  before  the  twentieth  day  of 
May.  All  was  consternation  and  grief.  What 
reports  were  brought  by  the  survivors  we  know 
not,  but  immediate  attack  upon  the  town  was 
feared  by  the  inhabitants.  The  alarm  extended 
through  the  settlements,  and  even  reached  Boston. 
The  Governor  odered  Col.  Eleazer  Tyng  into 
the  wilderness  to  protect  the  frontiers  against  the 
anticipated  invasion  of  the  victorious  foe.  The 
state  of  excitement  and  alarm  which  pervaded 
the  town  may  be  conjectured  from  the  following 
Petition  addressed  to  the  Governor  and  Council 
of  Massachusetts.  (1.) 

"  The  Petition  of  the  Selectmen  of  Dunstable, 


"  That  whereas  your  Honors  hath  found  it  necessary  to 
order  Col.  Tyng  and  his  men  into  the  woods,  on  the  sad 
occasion  of  Capt.  Lovewell's  defeat,  we  are  extremely 
exposed  and  weak,  by  reason  of  so  many  of  our  fighting 
men  being  cut  off  last  summer,  and  so  many  killed  now 
in  the  Province's  service.  We  would  beg  leave  to  represent 
to  your  Honors  our  cass  as  very  sad  and  distressing,  hav- 
ing so  many  soldiers  drawn  out,  and  our  inhabitants  reduced 
to  so  small  a  number  by  the  war.  Several  families  have 
removed,  and  more  are  under  such  discouragement,  not 
daring  to  carry  on  their  planting  or  any  other  business, 
that  they  fully  design  it.  We  hope  your  Honors  will  take 
our  deplorable  circumstances  into  your  compassionate 
consideration,  and  order  such  measures  to  be  taken  for  our 
defence  and  support,  until  our  men  return,  as  you  in  your 
wisdom  shall  think  fit.  And  your  Petitioners,  as  in  duty 
bound,  will  ever  pray. 

SAMUEL  FRENCH,  }  JOHN   CUMMINGS, 

JOSEPH  SNOW,       >  Selectmen.  JOHN  CUMMINGS,  Jr., 
JOSEPH  FRENCH,  }  NATH'L  CUMMINGS. 

JOHN  LOVEWELL,  JONATHAN  CUMMINGS, 

JOHN  FRENCH,  JONATHAN  COMBS. 

Dunstable,  May  20,  1725. 

John  Lovewell,  the  aged  father  of  Capt.  Love- 

(1.)  Military  Records,  1725,  page  235. 


•     '     '   -9 

122  HISTORY    OF 

well  also  petitioned  the  General  Assembly  at  the 
same  time,  for  "  some  assistance  from  the  country 
to  defend  his  garrison,  or  that  he  must  leave  it 
to  the  enemy."  (1.) 

The  petitions  were  granted.  A  guard  of 
twenty-five  soldiers  was  posted  in  town.  Com- 
panies of  scouts  under  Capt.  Seth|  Wyman, 
Capt.  Joseph  Blanchard  and  Capt.  Willard,  were 
scouring  the  valleys  of  the  Merrimac  and  the 
Nashua,  during  (he  whole  summer  and  autumn, 
but  no  enemy  appeared.  With  Joseph,  a  Mo- 
hawk, as  a  guide,  and  Nessa  Gawney  for  an  in- 
terpreter, they  ranged  as  far  as  Penacook,  "  Win- 
ipisocket,"  and  "  Cocheco  Path,"  but  excepting 
killing  a  moose  and  a  bear  between  Dunstable 
and  Penacook.  thpy  found  nothing.  (2.) 

This  incursion  into  the  head- quarters  of  the 
Pequawkctts,  and  the  destruction  of  Morridge- 
wock,  alarmed  the  Indians  so  much  that  they 
resided  no  more  at  either  place  until  after  the 
peace.  Nor  after  this  did  they  commit  any  seri- 
ous depredations.  Their  power  was  broken. — 
"Our  encountering  them  at  such  a  distance 
was  so  terrible~*ahd  surprising,"  says  Penhallow. 
"  that  they  never  formed  any  body  after." — 
These  conflicts  were  the  themes  of  eulogy 
throughout  the  New  England  settlements.  The 
names  of  their  actors  were  upon  all  men's  tongues 
"  familiar  as  household  words."  The  story  of 
"  worthy  Captain  Lovcwell"  was  the  subject 
of  many  a  ballad,  and  was  sung  by  every  fire- 
side. The  mother  taught  it  to  her  child  to 
excite  in  him  a  hatred  of  the  ci  Indian  enemy," 
and  to  set  before  him  an  example  of  valor  and 


(I.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  172"i :  Original  Petition,  page  263. 
(2.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1725:  page  263. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &c.  123 

patriotism,  which  he  was   to  imitate    when   he 
should  become  a  man. 

Public  gratitude  kept  pace  with  private  enthu- 
siasm. In  addition  to  the  gifts  above  cited,  other 
donations  were  made,  and  the  Township  of 
PEMBROKE,  first  called  "  LovewelVs  Town,"  was 
granted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Massachu- 
setts, "  iu  May,  1727,  to  Capt.  Lovewell  and 
his  brave  associates  in  consideration  of  their 
services  against  the  Indians.  The  whole  number 
of  grantees  was  60,  46  of  whom  accompanied 
Lovewell  in  his  last  march  to  Pequawkett,  and 
the  remainder  were  among  the  62  who  attended 
him  in  his  first  enterprise."  (1.) 

Of  this  company,  as  has  been  said,  seven  or 
more  belonged  lo  Dunslable,  including  nearly 
all  the  officers.  Of  these  every  man  was  killed 
or  wounded.  Capt.  Lovewell,  Ensign  Harwood, 
and  Robert  Usher  were  killed  on  the  spot.  Lt. 
Robbins  was  left  on  the  field  mortally  wounded. 
Lt.  Farwell  died  on  the  march  home.  Samuel 
Whitney  was  wounded,  and  probably  died  not 
long  after,  as  no  mention  of  him  is  found  in  the 
Records  of  the  town  after  May,  1725.  Noah 
Johnson  was  so  severely  "  wounded  in  the  fight 
as  to  be  disabled  "  for  many  years,  but  was  the 
last  survivor  of  the  company.  In  1727  a  pension 
of  £10  per  annum  for  seven  years  was  granted 
him  by  the  Colony  of  Massachusetts,  and  after 
its  expiration  in  1734,  the  sum  was  increased  to 
£15  per  annum,  and  continued  for  many  years. 
(2.)  He  died  at  Pembroke,  N.  H.,  13  August, 

(1.)  Farmer's  N.  H.  Gazetteer.  Pembroke. — There  seems,  how- 
ever, to  be  an  error  in  this  —  the  Report  of  the  Committee  upon  the 
subject  of  the  grant  says,  that  (he  whole  number  was  88,  or  whom 
62  were  in  the  second  expedition,  and  26  in  the  last  as  well  as  the 
second  expedition. 

(2.)  Johnson,  it  is  saiJ,  occupied  the  farm  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Nashua  at  its  mouth,  extending  probably  as  far  as  the  house 


124  HISTORY    OF 


a» 


1798,  in  his  hundredth  year.  The  grand  children 
of  some  of  these  still  survive  in  this  town  and 
vicinity. 

Several  of  the  ballads  which  were  written  to 
commemorate  this  event,  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant in  our  early  history,  have  been  preserved. 
If  they  do  riot  possess  high  poetic  merit,  they 
answered  well  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 
designed.  "  Let  me  make  the  ballads  of  a  peo- 
ple,'5 said  the  great  Chatham,  "  and  I  care  not 
who  makes  the  laws/'  There  was  deep  wisdom 
in  the  remark,  and  such  ballads,  rude  though 
they  were,  nurtured  the  free,  bold,  self-sacrificing 
spirit,  which  wrested  Canada  from  the  French 
in  1755,  and  finally  achieved  our  Independence. 
One  of  the  oldest  of  these  ballads,  composed,  as 
is  said,  the  year  of  the  fight,  "  the  most  beloved 
song  in  all  New  England,'''  is  here  inserted.  (I.) 

SONG  OF  LOVEWELL'S  FIGHT. 

I. 

Of  worthy  Captain  Love  well  I  purpose  now  to  sing, 
How  valiantly  he  served  his  country  and  his  king  ; 
He  and  his  valiant  soldiers  did  range  the  woods  full  wide1, 
And  hardships  they  endured  to  quell  the  Indians'  pride. 

II. 

'Twas  nigh  unto  Pigwacket,  on  the  eighth  day  of  May, 
They  spied  a  rebel  Indian  soon  after  break  of  day  ; 
He  on  a  bank  was  walking,  upon  a  neck  of  land, 
Which  leads  into  apondaa  we're  made  to  understand. 

III. 
Our  men  resolved  to  have  him  and  travelled  two  miles 

round, 

Until  they  met  the  Indian  who  boldly  stood  his  ground  ; 
Then  speaks  up  Captain  Lovewell,  "Take  you  good  heed," 

says  he, 
"  This  rogue  is  to  decoy  us  I  very  plainly  see. 

of  Judge  Parker.  Lovewell  is  said  to  have  occupied  the  farm  near 
Luther  Taylor's  house. 

(I.)  Drake's  Book  of  the  Indians,  132. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C.  125 

IV. 

"The  Indians  lie  in  ambush  in  some  place  nigh  at  hand, 
"  In  order  to  surround  us  upon  this  neck  of  land ; 
"Therefore  we'll  march  in  order,  and  each  man  leave  his 

pack, 
"That   we   way   briskly  fight   them  when    they   shall  us 

attack." 

V. 

They  come  unto  the  Indian  who  did  them  thus  defy; 
As  soon  ns  they  come  nigh  him  two  guns  he  did  let  fly, 
Which  wounded  Captain  Lovewell  and  likewise  one  man 

more,  (1.) 
But  when  this  rogue  was  running  they  laid  him  in  his  gore. 

VI. 

Then  having  scalped  the  Indian  they  went  back  to  the  spot 
Where  they  had  laid  their  packs  down,  but  there  they 

found  them  not; 
For  the  Indians  having  spied  them  when  they  them  down 

did  lay, 
Did  seize  them  for  their  plunder  and  carry  them  away. 

VII. 

These  rebels  lay  in  ambush  this  very  place  near  by, 
So  that  an  English  soldier  did  one  of  them  espy; 
And  cried  out,  "  here  's  an  Indian  " ;  with  that  they  started 

out 
As  fiercely  as  old  lions,  and  hideously  did  shout. 

VIII. 

With  that  our  valiant  English  all  gave  a  loud  huzza, 
To  show  the  rebel  Indians  they  feared  them  not  a  straw; 
So  now  the  tight  began  as  fiercely  as  could  be ; 
The  Indians  ran  up  to  them  but  soon  were  forced  to  flee. 

IX. 
Then    spake   tip   Captain   Love\vell    when  first   the  fight 

began,— 

"Fight  on  my  valiant  heroes!  you   se£  they  fall  like  rain  ;" 
For  as  we  are  informed,  the  Indians  were  so  thick, 
A  man  could  scarcely  fire  a  gun  and  not  some  of  them  hit 



Then  did  the  rebels  try  their  best  our  soldiers  to  surround, 
But  they  could  not  accomplish  it,  because  there  was  a  pond, 
To  which  our  men  retreated,  and  covered  all  the  rear; 

(l.)  Lt.  Farwell,  of  this  town. 


126 


HISTORY    OF 


The  rogues  were  forced  to  flee  them  although  they  skulked 
for  fear. 

XL 

Two  logs  that  were  behind  them  so  close  together  lay, 
Without  being  discovered  they  could  not  get  away  ; 
Therefore  our  valiant  English  they  travelled  in  a  row, 
And  at  a  handsome  distance  as  they  were  wont  to  go. 

XII. 

'Twas  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  w  hen  first  the  fight  begun, 
Ami  fiercely  did  continue  till  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
Excepting  that  the  Indians  some  hours  before  'twas  night, 
Drew  off  into  the  bushes,  and  ceased  a  while  to  fight. 

XIII. 

But  soon  again  returned  in  fierce  and  furious  mood, 
Shouting  as  in  the  morning,  but  yet  not  half  so  loud  ; 
For  as  we  are  informed,  so  thick  and  fast  they  fell, 
Scarce  twenty  of  their  number  at  night  did  get  home  well. 

XIV. 

And  that  our  valiant  English  till  midnight  there   did    stay, 
To  see  whether  the  rebels  would  have  another  fray  ; 
But  they  no  more   returning   they  made  off"  toward   their 

home, 
And  brought  away  their  wounded  as  far  as  they  could  corne. 

XV. 

Of  all  our  valiant  English  there  were  but  thirty-four, 
And  of  the  rebel  Indians  there  were  about  fourscore; 
And  sixteen  of  our  English  did  safely  home  return  : 
The  rest  were  killed  and  wounded  for  which  we  all  must 
mourn. 

XVI. 
Our   worthy   Captain    Lovewell   among   them   there   did 

They  killed  Lieutenant  Robbins,  and  wounded  good  young 

Frye,  (2.) 

\V  ho  was  our  Lnglish  chaplain ;  he  many  Indians  slew, 
And  some  of  them  he  scalped  when  bullets  round  him  flew. 

(I.)  The  powder  horn  worn  by  Lovewell  in  this  fight  is  preserved 
in  the  family,  and  the  cellar  of  the  house  where  ne  lived  is  still 
visible  a  little  distance  from  Salmon  Brook  in  Nashua. 

(2.)  Robbins  was  from  Dunstable.  Frye  was  a  son  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Frye  of  Andover,  as  before  mentioned.  Their  notions  were  all 
Jewish,  and  in  slaying  the  "  Heathen  Indians  "  they  thought  them- 
selves obeying  the  voice  of  God. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,   &C.  127 

XVII. 

Young  Fullam,  too,  I'll  mention,  because  he  fought  so  well, 
Endeavoring  to  save  a  man,  a  sacrifice  he  fell; 
And  yet  our  valiant  Englishmen  in  fight  were   ne'er  dis- 
mayed, 
But  still  they  kept  their  motion,  and  Wyman  Captain  made 

XVIII. 

Who  shot  the  old  chief  PAUGUS  which  did  the  foe  defeat; 
Then  set  his  men  in  order  and  brought  off  the  retreat; 
And  braving  many  dangers  and  hardships  by  the  way, 
They  safe  arrived  at  Dtmstable  the  thirtieth  day  of  May. 

The  statement  in  the  last  verse  that  Paugus 
was  killed  by  Wyman  is  not  correct.  He  was 
slain  by  John  Chamberlain,  who  afterwards  set- 
tled in  Merrimac.  After  the  heat  of  the  conflict 
was  over,  weary  and  faint,  Pangus  and  Cham- 
berlain both  went  down  to  the  pond  to  quench 
their  thirst,  and  to  wash  out  their  guns  which 
had  become  foul  by  continued  firing.  There 
they  met  and  at  once  recognized  each  other,  for 
Paugus  was  known  personally  to  many  of  the 
company.  Seeing  the  useless  condition  of  each 
others'  guns,  they  tacitly  agreed  to  a  truce  while 
they  were  cleaning  them. 

During  this  process  some  words  were  ex- 
changed, and  Paugus  said  to  Chamberlain,  "  It 
is  you  or  I."  Cautiously  but  with  haste  they 
proceeded  in  their  work,  for  it  was  a  case  of  life  or 
death.  Paugus  had  nearly  finished  loading,  and 
was  priming  his  piece,  when  Chamberlain  struck 
the  breech  of  his  gun  violently  upon  the  ground, 
thus  causing  it  to  prime  itself,  and  shot  Paugus 
through  the  heart,  the  bullet  of  Paugus  at  the  same 
instant  grazing  the  head  of  Chamberlain.  (1.) 

There  is  another  ballad  of  more  poetic  merit, 
written  in  imitation  of  the  ancient  Chevy  Chase. 

(1.)  Rev.  Mr.  Symme's  Narrative  of  Ike  Jig lit.     Allen's  Chelms- 
ford,  37. 


128  HISTORY    OF 


As  it  is  somewhat  rare  and  curious,  it  is  thought 
best  to  insert  it.  (1.) 

LOVEWELL'S    FJGHT. 

A     BALLAD. 
What  time  the  noble  Lovewell  came, 

With  fifty  men  from  Dunstahle, 
The  cruel  Pequ'at  tribe  to  tame, 

With  arms  and  bloodshed  terrible,  — 

Then  did  the  crimson  streams  that  flowed 

Seem  like  the  waters  of  the  brook, 
That  brightly  shine,  that  loudly  dash, 

Far  down  the  cliffs  of  Aqiochook.  (2.) 

With  Lovewell  brave,  John  Harwood  came: 
From  wife  and  twin  babes  hard  to  part  ; 

Young  Harwood  took  her  by  the  hand, 
And  bound  the  weeper  to  his  h^urt. 

"  Repress  that  tear,  my  Mary  dear," 

Said  Harwood  to  his  loving  wife  ; 
"  It  tries  me  hard  to  leave  thee  here, 

"And  seek  in  distant  woods  the  strife. 

"When  gone,  my  Mary,  think  of  me, 

"  And  pray  to  God  that  I  may  be 
"  Such  as  one  ought  that  lives  for  thee, 

"  And  come  at  last  in  victory." 

Thus  left  young  Harwood  wife  and  babes; 

With  accent  wild  she  bade  adieu  ; 
It  grieved  those  lovers  much  to  part, 

So  fond  and  fair,  so  kind  and  true. 

Seth  Wyman  who  in  Woburn  lived, 

(A  marksman  he  of  courage  true,) 
Shot  the  first  Indian  whom  they  saw  ; 

Sheer  through  his  heart  the  bullet  flew. 

The  savage  had  been  seeking  game, 
Two  guns  and  eke  a  knife  he  bore, 

(1.)  Farmer's  and  Moore's  Hist.  Coll.,  95.  Book  of  the  Indians, 
179. 

(2.)  The  Indian  name  of  the  White  Mountains.  Book  of  the 
Indians,  191  . 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C.  129 

And  two  black  ducks  were  in  his  hand, — 
He  shrieked  and  fell  to  rise  no  more. 

Anon  there  eighty  Indians  rose, 

Who'd  hid  themselves  in  ambush  dread  ; 

Their  knives  they  shook,  their  guns  they  aimed, 
The  famous  Paugtis  at  their  head. 

Good  Heavens!  They  dance  the  Powow  dance ! 

What  horrid  yells  the  forests  fill ! 
The  grim  bear  crouches  to  his  den, 

The  eagle  seeks  the  distant  bill. 

"  What  means  this  dance, this  Powow  dance!" 
Stern  Wyman  said,  with  wondrous  art; 

He  crept  full  near,  his  rifle  armed, 

And  shot  the  leader  through  the  heart.  (1.) 

John  Lovewell,  Captain  of  the  band, 

His  sword  he  waved  that  glittered  bright ; 

For  the  last  time  he  cheered  his  men, 
And  led  them  onward  to  the  fight. 

"  Fight  on!  Fight  on " !  brave  Lovewell  said : 
"  Fight  on  while  Heaven  shall  give  you  breath  !" 

An  Indian  ball  then  peirced  him  through, 
And  Lovewell  closed  his  eyes  in  death, 

John  Farwell  died,  all  bathed  in  blood, 
When  he  had  fought  till  set  of  day  ; 

And  many  more,  we  may  not  name, 
Fell  in  that  bloody  battle  fray. 

When  news  did  come  to  Harwood's  wife 
That  he  with  Lovewell  fought  and  died,— 

Far  in  the  wilds  had  given  his  life 

Nor  more  would  in  their  home  abide, — > 

Such  grief  did  seize  upon  her  mind, 
Such  sorrow  filled  her  faithful  breast, 

On  earth  she  ne'er  found  peace  again, 
But  followed  Harwood  to  his  rest. 

Twas  PAUGUS  led  the  Pequa't  tribe  ; 
As  runs  the  fox  would  Paugus  run  ; 

(1.)  The  chief  Powow  or  Priest  who  led  the  ceremonies. 


130  HISTORY  OF 


As  howls  the  wild  wolf  would  he  howl, — 
A  huge  bear  skin' had  Pangus  on. 

But  Chamberlain  of  Dunstable, 

(One  whom  a  savage  ne'er  shall  slay, — ) 

Met  Paugus  by  the  water  side, 
And  shot  him  dead  upon  that  day. 

Good  Heavens  !  is  this  a  time  for  prayer  ? 

Is  this  a  time  to  worship  God  ? 
When  Lovewell's  men  are  dying  fast, 

And  Paugus'  tribe  hath  felt  the  rod. 

The  Chaplain's  name  was  Jonathan  Frye  ; 

In  Andover  his  father  dwelt; 
And  oft  with  Lovewell's  men  he'd  prayed 

Before  the  mortal  wound  he  felt. 

A  man  he  was  of  comely  form, 

Polished  and  brave,  well  learned  and  kind  : 
Old  Harvard's  learned  walls  he  left 

Far  in  the  wilds  a  grave  to  find. 

Ah  !  now  his  blood  red  arm  he  lifts; 

His  closing  lids  he  tries  to  raise ; 
And  speak  once  more  before  he  dies, 

In  supplication  and  in  praise. 

He  prays  kind  heaven  to  grant  success, 
Brave  Lovewell's  tnen  to  guide  and  bless, 

And  when  they've  shed  their  heart  blood  true 
To  raise  them  all  to  happiness. 

"Come  hither,  Farwell,"  said  young  Frye; 

"You  see  that  I'm  about  to  die  ; 
"Now  for  the  love  I  bear  to  you, 

"When  cold  in  death  my  bones  shall  lie; 

"  Go  thou  and  see  my  parents  dear, 
"And  tell  them  you  stood  by  me  here; 

"  Console  them  when  they  cry,  alas  ! 
"And  wipe  away  the  falling  tear." 

Lieutenant  Farwell  took  his  hand, 
His  arm  around  his  neck  he  threw, 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  131 

And  said,  "  brave  Chaplain  I  could  wish 
That  heaven  had  made  me  die  for  you," 

The  Chaplain  on  kind  Farwell's  breast, 

Bloody  and  languishing  he  fell; 
Nor  after  this  said  more,  but  this, 

"  J  love  thee  soldier;  fare  thee  well !" 

Ah!  many  a  wife  shall  reud  her  hair, 
And  many  a  child  cry  out  "  wo  is  me  !" 

When  messengers  the  news  shall  bear 
Of  Lovewell's  dear  bought  victory. 

With  footsteps  slow  shall  travellers  go 

Where  Lovewell's  Pond  shines  clear  and  bright, 

And  mark  the  place  where  those  are  laid 
Who  fell  in  Lovewell's  bloody  fight, 

Ol.l  men  shall  shake  their  head  and  say, 

"  Sad  was  the  hour  and  terrible, 
When  Lovewell  brave  'gainst  Paugus  went, 

With  fifty  men  from  Dunstable." 

Thus  ended  "  LOVEWELL'S  WAR."  Deep  and 
universal  was  the  gratitude  at  the  restoration 
of  peace.  Well  might  the  people  rejoice.  For 
fifty  years  had  the  war  been  raging  with  little 
cessation,  and  with  a  series  of  surprises,  devas- 
tations and  massacres  which  seemed  to  threaten 
annihilation.  "  The  scene  of  this  desperate  and 
bloody  action  is  often  visited  with  interest  to 
this  day  ;  and  the  names  of  those  who  survived 
are  yet  repeated  with  emotions  of  grateful  exul- 
tation." (1.)  And  a  century  after  upon  that  spo* 
strangers  came  together,  from  a  broad  and  popu- 
lous region  won  from  the  savages  in  that  conflict, 
to  pay  their  tribute  of  gratitude,  with  festive  cel- 
ebration, song,  and  eulogy  to  ihe  waning  memory 
of  "  LOVEWELL'S  FIGHT."  (2.) 

SI.)  North  American  Revieio. 
2.)  Its  centennial  anniversary  was  celebrated  on  the  spot  of  tho 
Fight,  in   Fryeburg,  Me.,  May   19.  1825,  when  an  address  was  de- 
livered by  Charles  S.  Davis,  Esq.,  of  Portland. 

12 


132  HISTOR\    OF 


After  this  fight  no  other  attack  was  made  by 
the  Indians  upon  this  town,  although  many  years 
subsequently,  during  the  French  Wars,  the  in- 
habitants were  alarmed  at  the  ravages  committed 
in  the  neighborhood  at  Bedford,  Pembroke,  Dun- 
barton.  Concord,  and  upon  Connecticut  River. 
Garrisons  were  built,  and  armed  scouts  kept  out 
constantly,  but  the  frontiers  were  now  beyond 
us.  Sometimes,  indeed,  individual  Indians  ap- 
peared mysteriously,  seeking  the  life  of  some 
offending  settler  who  had  slain  a  relative,  to 
appease  his  restless  spirit  by  the  sacrifice  of 
"  blood  for  blood."  Such  tales  they  tell  of 
Chamberlain,  the  slayer  of  Paugus,  of  Ford,  and 
others  noted  in  fight,  and  how,  mysteriously 
disappearing,  the  layer  in  wait  became  the  victim. 

Perilous  conflicts,  providential  escapes  and 
strange  adventures  were  thickly  woven  in  the 
romance  of  our  early  history,  but  the  remem- 
brance of  most  of  them  has  passed  away  utte/ly. 
and  of  others  but  dim  and  doubtful  traditionary 
shadows  remain.  These  traditions,  handed  down 
from  the  survivors  long  since  departed,  too  direct 
and  circumstantial  to  be  entirely  fictitious,  and 
fixing  neither  time,  nor  place,  nor  actors  of  the 
scene,  meet  the  enquirer  at  every  step  in  his  in- 
vestigations, and  excite  longings  and  questions 
which  cannot  be  gratified.  If  there  were  indeed 
(C  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks,'' 
and  "  sermons  in  stones,"  what  thrilling  tales 
might  not  some  of  our  old  denizens  of  field  and 
forest  unfold  ! 

Many  anecdotes  which  have  been  handed 
down,  if  not  entirely  authentic,  are  at  least 
characteristic  of  the  times  in  which  they  are  said 
to  have  occurred,  and  probably  possess  some 
foundations.  The  following  are  specimens  : 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  133 


A  party  of  Indians,  it  is  said,  once  came  sud- 
denly upon  Ford,  "the  Indian  Fighter,"  so  that 
he  had  no  chance  to  escape.  He  was  splitting 
logs  for  rails,  and  had  just  driven  in  his  wedge 
and  partly  opened  a  log.  Pretending  to  be  very 
anxious  to  complete  the  work,  he  requested  them 
to  put  their  hands  in  the  cleft,  and  pull  it  open, 
while  he  drove  in  the  wedge.  Suspecting  noth- 
ing they  did  so,  but  watching  his  opportunity 
he  dexterously  knocked  the  wedge  out  instead 
of  in.  The  log  closed  tight  upon  their  fingers, 
and  held  them  fast,  and  the  whole  party  became 
his  prisoners. 

"  At  a  later  period  an  Indian  appeared  in  Dun- 
stable  enquiring  for  '  Joe  Snow,'  who  at  some 
former  time  had  slain  his  kinsman.  The  duty 
of  revenge  had  long  been  transmitted,  and  the 
desire  nourished ;  and  the  descendants  of  the 
aggrieved  and  restless  warrior  had  now  come 
thus  far  through  the  wilderness,  even  from  Can- 
ada, guided  by  tradition  alone,  to  avenge  and 
pacify  his  spirit.  This  errand,  however,  was 
vain,  for  '  Joe  Snow  '  had  long  ago  departed." 

At  some  period  during  "  LovewelFs  War," 
William  Cumrnings  of  this  town,  was  wounded 
by  the  Indians,  but  how,  when,  or  where,  no 
record  tells.  For  his  wounds  he  received  the 
sum  of  £10  from  the  Colonial  Treasury.  (1.) 

"  An  Indian  once  called  upon  Chamberlain  at 
his  saw  mill,  intending  to  way-lay  him  on  his 
return  homeward  at  nightfall,  through  the  forest. 
It  was  a  time  of  peace,  but  Chamberlain  suspect- 
ed the  character  of  his  pretended  friend,  and  the 
motive  of  his  visit.  While  engaged  in  his  work, 
he  invited  the  Indian  to  examine  the  wheelpit, 

(1.)  Mass.  Military  Records,  1734. 


134  HISTORY  OF 


and  seizing  the  opportunity,  knocked  him  on  the 
head  with  a  handspike  without  compunction." 

"Among  those  indefinite  traditions  which  have 
been  assigned  to  a  period  subsequent  to  Love- 
well's  War,  is  the  following:  —  A  party  once 
went  from  this  town  to  the  Eastward  upon  a 
hunting  expedition  in  early  winter.  While  ab- 
sent they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  predatory 
Indians,  and  nearly  all  of  them  were  killed.  A 
few  escaped  and  returned  home  bringing  the 
sad  tidings  of  the  death  of  their  companions 
and  neighbors. 

u  One  man,  however,  who  was  left  in  the  field 
for  dead,  survived.  His  name  was  Whitney, 
and  he  lived  in  what  is  now  the  southerly  part  of 
Nashua,  near  Long  Hill.  He  was  too  weak  to 
think  of  returning  home  alone  through  the  track- 
less and  unpeopled  forest,  so  he  built  him  a  hut 
of  logs,  and  bark,  and  branches  of  trees,  and 
there  passed  the  winter,  subsisting  chiefly  on 
roots  and  cranberries.  .In  the  Spring  another 
party  went  out  to  find  and  bury  the  dead,  and 
came  to  this  hut  which  they  supposed  to  be  that 
of  an  Indian.  As  they  approached  they  saw 
something  stir  within  it.  One  of  the  party  fired, 
— a  groan  followed,  but  the  victim,  to  their  great 
astonishment  and  grief,  proved  to  be  the  unfortu- 
nate Whitney.  He  was  just  preparing  to  return 
home,  having  survived  his  wounds  and  all  the 
perils  and  hardships  of  a  winter  in  the  wilder- 
ness, only  to  perish  by  the  hands  of  his  own 
friends  and  townsmen." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


CIVIL  HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN  UNTIL  ITS  DIVI- 
SION BY  THE  NEW  STATE  LINE  IN  1741. 

THE  settlement  of  the  town  which  had  been 
so  much  and  so  long  retarded, —  which  for  forty 
years  had  scarcely  advanced  at  all,  now  increased 
rapidly.  But  the  inhabitants  were  extremely 
poor.  In  addition  to  the  heavy  public  taxes 
occasioned  by  the  long  and  expensive  Indian 
Wars,  they  had  suffered  much  from  the  incur- 
sions of  the  enemy  —  from  the  loss  of  the  ransoms 
paid  for  the  release  of  their  captive  friends,  and 
from  the  obstruction  of  all  regular  employment. 

In  consideration  of  the  universal  scarcity  of 
money,  the  General  Assembly  of  Massachusetts 
issued  bills  of  credit  in  1721  to  the  amount  of 
£50,000,  to  be  distributed  among  the  several 
towns  in  proportion  to  the  public  taxes.  They 
answered  the  purpose  of  money  for  the  time. — 
Nov.  7,  1721,  Lt.  Henry  Farwell  and  Joseph 
Blanchard  were  appointed  Trustees  to  receive 
and  loan  out  "  the  share"  of  this  town,  in  such 
sums  that  "  no  man  shall  have  more  than  five 
pounds,  and  no  man  less  than  three  pounds." 
and  shall  pay  five  per  cent,  interest  for  the  use 
of  the  same  to  the  Town. 

In  1727  the  General  Assembly,  finding  this 
mode  of  making  money  popular,  issued  £60,000 
more.  The  share  belonging  to  this  town  was 
received  and  loaned  to  Rev.  Mr.  Prentice,  to  be 

*12 


1  •  ' — -m 

136  HISTORY    OF 

applied  in  payment  of  his  future  salary  as  it 
should  become  due.  Thus  early  and  easily  did 
men  discover  and  adopt  the  practice  of  throwing 
their  debts  upon  posterity.  The  consequence 
of  these  issues  was  a  ruinous  depreciation  in 
their  value  —  a  nominal  rise  in  the  value  of  every 
species  of  property,  speculation,  and  at  last  uni- 
versal distress.  In  1750  the  bills  were  worth 
but  12  per  cent. 

The  general  poverty  of  the  inhabitants  may 
also  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that  no  represen- 
tative was  sent  to  the  General  Assembly,  although 
directed  so  to  do,  the  Town  voting  regularly 
from  1693  to  1733  "  not  to  send."  Whenever 
the  interests  of  the  Town  were  in  danger, 
however,  a  special  agent  was  sent  to  see  that 
they  were  protected.  As  an  illustration  of  the 
feelings  and  peculiarities  of  thpse  times  it  may 
be  added,  that,  February  1,  1(J31,  it  was  "voted 
not  to  choose  any  person  as  Representative,  deem- 
ing ourselves  not  obliged  by  Law."  But  in  order 
to  be  certain  as  to  their  rights  and  duties,  the 
next  year  they  took  legal  advice  upon  this  subject. 
and  again  voted  "  not  to  send,  finding  the  Town 
not  obliged  by  Law"  At  that  time  the  repre- 
sentative received  no  compensation  for  attend- 
ance, but  his  expenses  were  paid  by  the  town. 
In  1718  the  compensation  was  fixed  by  statute 
at  three  shillings  per  day.  At  one  period  the 
General  Assembly  hired  an  inn- keeper  to  board 
all  of  the  members  at  a  stipulated  price  per  day, 
including  wine,  "  but  not  to  exceed  one  cup  of 
sack  each."  This  was  done  not  only  for  econo- 
my, but  for  the  greater  despatch  of  business. 

For  many  years  little  occurred  here  which 
I  would  be  of  general  interest.  The  records  are 
!  chiefly  valuable  as  serving  to  shew  the  contrast 

te-  ,  


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  137 

between  the  past  and  the  present,  and  the  slow 
and  painful  steps  by  which  towns  arrive  at  ma- 
turity. Some  memoranda  of  this  period,  there- 
fore, may  serve  to  amuse  and  perhaps  instruct 
the  curious  reader. 

In  1716  a  committee  was  appointed  by  the 
town  to  lay  out  a  road  to  Dracut,  and  "  to  state 
the  Country  road  from  Capt.  Tyng's  to  Nasha- 
way  River."  Its  width  was  declared  to  be 
"  four  rods." 

"Sept.  2,  1718,  voted,  that  John  Lovewell 
Senior,  and  his  son  John,  [the  Hero  of  Pequawk- 
ett,]  should  hav  liberty  to  bild  a  dam  in  the  high- 
way over  Salmon  Brook,  not  to  incommodate  the 
highway."  This  was  at  the  little  bridge  near 
the  house  of  Miss  Allds,  where  the  mud  sills 
are  still  visible,  and  the  "highway"  was  the 
"Country  road"  just  mentioned. 

"  March  31,  1819.  Joseph  French  was  chosen 
to  make  coffins  where  there  be  need  for  the  year 
ensuing."  Friendly  Indians  still  lived  here,  and 
this  singular  vote  may  have  referred  to  them,  as 
we  find  a  charge  made  by  him  not  long  after. 
"  for  Jacob  Indian's  coffin  75." 

The   Selectmen  and  other   persons  in  the  em- 
S    ployment  of  the  town  at  this  period  charged  5s. 
per  day  for  their  services. 

The  humble  Meeting  House  which  had  served 
for  the  worship  of  all  the  inhabitants,  since  no 
division  into  sects  existed,  was  a  rude,  one  story, 
unsteepled  edifice,  and  would  shew  but  poorly 
beside  the  erections  of  the  present  day.  It  was 
divided  by  an  aisle  in  the  centre,  with  rows  of 
benches  on  either  side,  one  of  which  was  appro- 
priated for  the  use  of  the  women,  and  the  other 


138  HISTORY    OF 


for  the  use  of  the  men.     Such  a  separation  was 
not  unfrequent  in  those  primitive  days.  (1.) 

But  even  among  our  grave  and  simple  fore- 
fathers, luxury  and  ambition  crept  in.  March 
2,  1720,  it  was  "  Voted  that  Lt.  Henry  Farwell 
,  and  Joseph  Blanchard  should  hav  the  libety  to 
!  erect  for  themselves  two  Pewes  on  there  own 
charge  at  the  west  end  of  the  Meeting  House." 
The  example  was  contagious,  so  dangerous  is  a 
precedent.  If  Lt.  Farwell  and  Capt.  Blanchard 
could  afford  "Pewes,"  why  might  not  others  ? 
May  18,  1720,  it  was  "  Voted  that  there  be  four 
Pewes  erected  in  our  Meeting  House  ;  one  on  the 
back  side  of  the  lowermost  seats,  and  one  seat 
to  be  taken  up;  Sargt.  Colburn,  one  pew;  Sargt. 
Perham,  one  pew ;  Nathaniel  Cummings.  one 
pew  ;  Oliver  Farwell,  one  pew." 

The  first  panper  in  town  appears  1o  have 
been  Joseph  Hassell.  a  son  probably  of  him  who 
was  slain  by  the  Indians  in  1691.  He  was  sup- 
ported by  the  town,  who  appointed  a  person  "  to 
take  care  of"  him  in  1722  or  1723. 

In  1723  Grand  Jurymen  were  chosen  by  the 
town  at  the  annual  meeting  by  ballot.  This 

(1.)  The  following  is  a  description  of  the  early  Meeting  Houses 
as  drawn  up  by  Rev.  Leonard  Bacon  of  New  Haven  :  —  "  Immedi- 
ately before  the  pulpit,  and  facing  the  Congregation  was  an  elevated 
seat  for  the  ruling-  elder,  and  before  thai,  somewhat  lower,  was  a 
seat  for  the  Deacons  behind  the  Communion  Table.  On  the  floor 
of  the  house  there  were  neither  pews  nor  slips,  but  plain  seats. — 
On  each  side  of  what  we  may  call  the  centre  aisle  were  nine  seats 
of  sufficient  length  to  accommodate  five  or  six  persons.  On  each 
side  of  the  pulpit  at  the  end  were  five  cross  seats,  and  another 
shorter  than  the  five.  Along  each  wall  of  the  house,  between  the 
cross  scats  and  the  side  door,  six  seats. 

The  men  and  women  were  seated  separately,  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  house,  and  every  one  according  to  his  office,  or  his  age,  or  his 
rank  in  society,  and  his  place  was  assigned  by  a  committee  ap- 
pointed for  that  purpose.  The  children  and  young  people  at  the 
first  seating  seem  to  have  been  left  lo  find  their  own  places,  away 
from  their  parents,  in  that  part  of  the  house  which  was  not  occu- 
I  pied  with  seats  prepared  at  the  town's  expense." 

a- 


._  ,  .     ..  _ 

NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  139 

was  probably  done  as  a  precaution  against  the 
encroachments  of  the  officers  of  the  crown,  and 
as  a  safeguard  of  popular  rights.  One  tribunal 
was  secure  from  royal  influence,  and  no  indi- 
vidual could  be  unjustly  condemned.  This  mode 
of  choice  continued  till  after  the  revolution,  and 
was  a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  enemies 
of  America,  who  complained  that  the  Towns 
chose  the  most  active  opponents  of  England  for 
their  Grand  Jurors,  so  that  those  guilty  of  politi- 
cal offences  could  not  be  indicted.  (I.) 

In  1723  the  choice  of  a  Tything-man,  Thomas 
Blanchard,  is  first  recorded.  The  Town  raised 
£20  [about  $70]  to  defray  all  town  expenses, 
and  the  collector  had  "3  pence  in  the  pound  [1 
1-4  per  cent]  for  gathering  all  Town  rates  for  ye 
year." 

In  1724  the  Town  was  again  called  upon  to 
assist  in  keeping  "  the  great  bridge  in  Billerica 
in  good  repare,"  and  chose  Henry  Far  well  "  to 
jine  with  the  committy  appinted  "  for  that  pur- 
pose. 1729  they  united  with  Dracut,  Chelms- 
ford,  and  Billerica  in  further  repairs,  and  1731 
expended  £3  10s.  for  the  same  purpose.  This 
bridge  was  over  the  Concord  river  on  the  main 
road  to  Boston,  and  of  great  importance. 

The  method  of  voting  for  all  the  more  impor- 
tant officers  was  "  by  ballot"  while  others  of 
less  importance  were  chosen  "  by  holding  up  of 
ye  hands."  So  early  did  our  forefathers  recog- 
nize that  truly  republican  principle  and  safeguard 
of  popular  rights,  the  secret  ballot. 

In  those  days  offices  were  not  only  places  of 
honor  and  profit,  but  also  of  good  cheer.  Those 

(1.)  GOTO.  Hutchinson's  Letters. 


a  — 

140  HISTORY   OF 


were  glorious  times  for  dignitaries.  Among  the 
accounts  presented  for  acceptance,  and  which 
were  allowed  and  paid  by  the  Town  without 
scruple,  we  find  the  following  : 

"  Town  of  Dunstable  to  Snmuel  French,  Dr 
1726.     To  dining  the  Selectmen  6  meals,     £0    6s  Od 
forrhum  and  cyder  had  at  Mr 
William  Lund's  for  tht  Selectmen,    0  12  6." 

We  are  accustomed  to  look  back  upon  that 
early  period  as  an  age  of  primitive  simplicity 
and  virtue.  Yet  what  would  be  said  of  such 
an  account  is  these  Temperance  days?  But 
their  faults  were  only  those  of  rude  and  hardy 
pioneers,  and  of  the  age,  and  we  would  institute 
no  comparison.  They  laid  a  noble  foundation 
for  our  Republic.  "  Every  man  who  was  forty 
years  old,"  says  Belknap,  "  had  seen  twenty 
years  of  war."  Such  continual  dangers  and 
hardships,  although  affording  no  good  school  for 
cultivation  and  refinement,  furnished  a  race 
of  hardy  soldiers  and  sterling  patriots  for  the 
<(  times  that  tried  men's  souls." 

In  March,  1727,  the  town  raised  u  eight  pounds 
for  building  a  boat,"  and  it  was  directed  "  that 
Capt.  Blanchard  should  return  the  boat  within 
the  year  to  the  Town."  This  was  probably  for 
a  Ferry-boat  over  the  Merrimac  at  the  Blanch- 
ard  farm,  [now  Little's]  as  Hudson  was  then 
included  in  Dunstable,  and  a  few  settlers  had 
located  themselves  on  that  side  of  the  river. — 
bridge  existed  for  a  century  after. 


October  29  and  30,  1727,  at  night  a  shock  of 
an  earthquake  was  felt  here.  It  Affected  chiefly 
"  the  towns  upon  the  Merrimac."  "  The  shock 
was  very  loud  and  was  attended  with  a  terrible 
noise  like  thunder.  The  houses  trembled  as  if 
they  were  falling.  Divers  chitnnies  were  crack- 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  141 

»  .  r  "  ' 

ed,  and  some  had  their  tops  broken  off.  Flashes 
of  light  broke  out  of  the  earth,  and  the  earth 
broke  open."  The  shocks  lasted  until  February, 
1728.  (1.) 

At  this  time  taverners  were  licensed  by  the 
County-Court.  In  the  fall  of  1727,  Capt.  Joseph 
Blanchard,  who  had  been  the  inn-keeper  of  the 
town  for  many  years,  died,  and  as  the  Court  was 
not  in  session  in  December,  1727,  Henry  Farwell 
Jr.,  petitioned  the  General  Assembly  for  a  license 
which  was  granted.  (2.) 

In  1728  a  boom  was  built  across  Merrimac 
River  by'the  town. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  New  England  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence  were  but  little  known, 
and  there  were  few  lawyers.  The  jurisdiction 
of  courts  of  law  was  limited,  and  as  many  of  the 
judges  had  received  no  preparatory  legal  educa- 
tion to  fit  them  for  the  bench,  but  were  taken 
directly  from  the  counting  room  or  camp,  all 
settled  rules  of  law  were  of  course  unknown  and 
disregarded.  The  people,  therefore,  in  all  cases 
of  difficulty  applied  at  once  to  the  General  As- 
sembly, who  assumed  and  exercised  jurisdiction 
in  imitation  of  the  English  Parliament,  as  a 
court  of  Errors  and  of  Chancery  in  all  cases 
whatsoever,  where  their  assistance  was  needed 
for  the  purposes  of  Justice. 

A  committee  having  been  appointed  by  the 
town  to  purchase  the  ministerial  farm  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Coffin  as  a  parsonage  for  Mr.  Prentice,  and 
refusing  to  convey  it  as  directed,  the  Town  ap- 
plied to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  by  a 
"  petition  for  some  redress,  if  it  may  be  obtained, 

(1.)  4  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  S3. 

(2.)  Mass.  Assembly  Records,  1727. 

•b- 


142  HISTORY   OF 


touching  the  premises."  This  was  not  done, 
however,  without  a  division,  and  several  persons 
entered  their  desent  [dissent]  or  protest  against 
the  proceeding. 

The  amount  of  taxes  raised  from  1726  to  1733 
for  the  general  expenses  of  the  Town,  including 
the  support  of  the  ministry,  varied  from  $250  to 
per  year. 


The  subject  of  education  was  one  of  deep 
interest  to  the  early  settlers  of  New  England. — 
To  them  must  be  awarded  the  enviable  distinc- 
tion of  their  being  the  first  to  lay  down  the  noble 
principle,  that  "  every  child  should  be  taught  to 
read  and  write,"  and  the  first  to  establish  com- 
mon schools  to  carry  it  into  effect.  It  was  ever 
the  custom,  and  became  the  law  in  Puritan  New 
England  as  early  as  1642,  that  "none  of  the 
brethren  should  suffer  so  much  barbarism  in  their 
families,  as  not  to  teach  their  children  and  ap- 
prentices so  much  learning,  as  may  enable  them 
perfectly  to  read  the  English  Language."  A 
fine  of  20  shillings  was  imposed  for  every  neg- 
lect, and,  if  after  reproof  by  the  Selectmen,  they 
still  neglected  this  duty,  the  children  were  to  be 
taken  from  them,  and  bound  out,  males  until  21, 
and  females  until  18  years  of  age. 

In  1646  it  was  enacted  that  "  if  any  child 
above  16  years  old.  and  of  sufficient  understand- 
ing, shall  curse  or  smite  his  natural  father  or 
mother,  he  shall  be  PUT  TO  DEATH,  UNLESS  it  can 
be  sufficiently  testified,  that  the  parents  have  been 

VERY     UNCHRISTIANLY    NEGLIGENT    IN    THE    EDUCATION 

OF  SUCH  CHILDREN."  This  was  the  Mosaic  Law, 
but  with  an  important  and  characteristic  quali- 
fication. 

"  To  the  end  that  learning  may  not  be  buried 
in  the  graves  of  our  forefathers,"  it  was  ordered 


i 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  143 

in  1647,  "that  every  township,  after  the  Lord 
hath  increased  them  to  the  number  of  fifty  house- 
holders, shall  appoint  one  to  teach  all  the  children 
to  read  and  write  :  And  when  any  town  shall 
increase  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  families 
they  shall  set  up  a  grammar  school,  the  master 
whereof  being  able  to  instruct  youth  so  far  as 
they  may  be  fitted  for  the  university."  These 
provisions,  furnishing  the  best  academic  educa- 
tion to  every  child  gratuitously,  go  far  beyond 
our  present  School  Laws,  and  we  might  do  well 
to  retrace  our  steps.  For  non-compliance  the 
Towns  were  liable  to  indictment,  and  a  fine  was 
imposed  for  the  benefit  of  the  school  in  the  next 
Town. 

One  reason  which  determined  the  Puritans 
upon  a  removal  from  Leyden  was,  "  That  the 
place  being  of  great  licentiousness  and  liberty  to 
children,  they  could  not  educate  them;  rior  could 
they  give  them  due  correction  without  reproof  or 
reproach  from  their  neighbors."  Their  ideas 
of  government,  family  and  national,  were  all 
derived  from  the  Mosaic  code,  and,  as  was  said 
of  the  Connecticut  settlers,  they  "  agreed  to  take 
the  laws  of  God  for  their  guide  until  they  had 
time  to  make  better." 

But,  deeply  as  the  settlers  felt  the  importance 
of  Education,  it  was  no  easy  matter  in  a  frontier 
town,  where  a  fierce  Indian  War  was  raging, 
when  the  inhabitants  dwelt  in  garrisons  and  the 
settlement  was  every  day  liable  to  an  attack,  to 
establish  common  schools.  The  dense  forest, 
where  the  quiet  of  the  school  room  might  be 
broken  at  any  time  by  the  yell  of  the  savage, 
was  no  fitting  time  or  place  for  helpless  children  ; 
still  at  home  education  was  not  neglected,  as  the 
state  of  our  ancient  records  everywhere  attests,  j 

13  " 


144  HISTORY    OF 


So  much  were  the  inhabitants  scattered  that  no 
school  was  kept  in  Town  until  1730.  In  that 
year,  it  seems,  the  Town  having  increased  to  the 
requisite  number  of  " fifty  house-holders"  and 
having  neglected  to  provide  a  teacher  according 
to  Law,  had  been  indicted  by  the  Grand  Jury. 
Nov.  3,  1730,  it  was  accordingly  voted,  that  "  it 
be  left  with  the  selectmen  to  provide  and  agree 
with  a  person  to  keep  a  writing  school  in  the  town 
directly";  and,  that  "the  sum  of  Ten  pounds 
be  granted  and  raised  for  defraying  the  charges 
in  the  last  mentioned  concern  and  other  Town 
charges."  How  liberal  this  provision  was  we 
may  judge  from  the  fact  that  the  same  sum,  and 
even  more,  had  been  annually  raised  for  Town 
charges  alone,  and  that  Dunstable  then  included 
the  greater  part  of  Hollis  and  Hudson  within  its 
limits  ! 

How  many  inhabitants  the  Town  then  con- 
tained we  are  unable  to  ascertain.  If  there  were 
fifty  house-holders  or  families,  the  number  was 
probably  about  two  hundred  and  fifty.  How 
slow  was  the  increase  and  how  disastrous  must 
have  been  the  effect  of  the  long  Indian  Wars, 
we  may  conjecture  when  we  remember  that  as 
far  back  as  1680,  there  were  thirty  families,  or 
nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants,  most 
of  whom  were  settled  within  the  present  limits 
of  Nashua. 

After  this  indictment,  however,  had  been  ar- 
ranged, it  appears  that  the  Town  relapsed  into 
its  ancient  neglect  and  no  further  notice  \vas 
taken  of  it.  No  record  of  any  vote  to  raise 
money  for  the  -support  of  Schools,  or  to  choose 
any  school  committee,  or  to  build  any  school- 
house,  or  any  allusion  to  the  subject  of  schools 
is  found  for  many  years.  The  Town  was  too 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  145 

much  distracted,  at  this  period,  perhaps,  by  ex- 
citing religious  and  sectional  questions,  to  attend 
to  or  agree  upon  any  general  plan  of  education. 
The  inhabitants  of  Hollis  and  Hudson  were  de- 
sirous of  being  erected  into  separate  townships. 
Then  came  the  question  of  erecting  "  a  decent 
meeting  house,"  and  similar  divisions  ensued. 

The  controversies  about  the  boundary  line 
between  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts, 
which  finally  divided  Dunstable  nearly  in  the 
middle,  leaving  one  half  of  the  territory  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts,  and  transfer- 
ring the  northern  portion,  with  a  large  majority 
of  the  inhabitants,  to  New  Hampshire,  gave  rise 
to  an  excitement  still  more  intense  and  protracted. 
Then  followed  a  succession  of  sectarian  disputes 
about  the  Orthodox  and  New  Lights,  Congrega- 
tionalists  and  Presbyterians,  all  of  which  were 
discussed  and  decided  iii  Town  meetings. — 
These,  and  similar  controversies,  with  their  con- 
sequent victories  and  defeats,  protests  and  recon- 
siderations must  have  occupied  their  time  suffi- 
ciently to  prevent  their  union  upon  any  subject, 
where  there  might  be  conflicting  interests  or  pre- 
judices. 

After  LovewelFs  War,  so  great  was  the  security 
felt  by  the  settlers,  that  they  plunged  boldly  into 
the  wilderness  in  every  direction.  In  July, 
1729,  the  lands  lying  three  miles  north  and  south 
on  Merrimac  River,  extending  three  miles  east 
and  four  miles  west  of  it,  and  bounded  southerly 
by  the  Souhegan,  [now  the  northerly  part  of 
Merrimac]  were  granted  to  Joseph  Blanchard 
and  others.  Even  as  early  as  May,  1726,  a  set- 
tlement was  commenced  at  Concord.  In  Dun- 
stable  the  outlands  were  taken  up,  and  soon  the 
wilderness  was  alive  with  population.  So  nu- 
merous had  they  become  that  "  for  greater 


146 


convenience   of  public   worship  ",  they   desired 
on  every  hand  to  be  erected  into  townships. 

In  1731  the  inhabitants  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Merrimac  petitioned  the  town  to  be  set  off,  which 
was  granted  to  take  effect  "  whenever  the  Gen- 
eral Court  should  think  it  advisable."  Leave 
was  obtained  accordingly  from  the  Assembly  of 
Massachusetts,  and  the  new  township  was  called 
Nottingham.  On  the  establishment  of  the  bound- 
ary line  it  fell  within  the  State  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, obtained  a  new  charter  in  1746,  and 
changed  its  name  to  Nottingham- West,  there 
being  already  a  Nottingham  in  the  eastern  section 
of  the  State. 

In  1732  the  inhabitants  on  the  northerly  side 
of  Nashua  River  petitioned  to  be  set  off  also  wilh 
Bren ton's  Farm,  but  the  petition  was  not  granted 
by  the  town.  In  1733,  however,  partof  the  town 
lying  west  of  Merrimac  River  was  incorporated 
by  the  General  Assembly  into  a  township  by  the 
name  of  Rumford,  but  soon  after  was  called 
Merrimac. 

July  3,  1734,  Litchfield  was  incorporated. — 
In  the  petition  for  incorporation,  dated  May, 
1734,  and  signed  by  "  Aquila  Under  wood  for 
the  Town  ",  it  is  stated,  as  a  reason  for  the  grant, 
that  they  have  "  supported  a  minister  for  some 
time." 

While  the  jealousies  and  divisions,  to  which 
reference  has  been  made,  were  existing  in  such 
strength,  "  the  old  meeting  house,"  it  seems, 
had  grown  so  old  and  out  of  repair,  as  not  to  be 
"decent."  Upon  a  vote  taken  in  1732  whether 
the  town  '"  would  build  a  decent  meeting  house 
or  rectify  and  mend  the  old  one  ",  it  was  decided 
not  to  "rectify",  but  to  build.  After  quarrel- 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  147 

ling  a  year  and  holding  various  meetings,  it  was 
voted  to  build  it  "  about  4  rods  westward  of 
where  the  meeting  house  now  stands",  upon 
which  19  persons,  chiefly  from  that  part  of  the 
town  now  lying  in  Massachusetts,  entered  their 
dissent  of  record  against  the  location. 

In  1736  Hollis  was  set  off  from  Dunstable  by 
the  name  of  "  the  west  parish  of  Dunstable  "; 
but  after  the  establishment  of  the  boundary  line, 
it  received  a  new  act  of  incorporation  from  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire,  by  the  name  of  Hollis. 
Its  Indian  name  was  Nissitisset.  In  the  mean 
time  settlements  were  extending  rapidly  all 
around,  and  the  forest  was  bowing  before  the 
onward  tread  of  civilization.  In  1734,  Amherst 
was  settled,  and  in  1736  a  bridge  was  built  across 
Souhegan  River,  then  the  northerly  boundary 
of  Dunstable,  and  a  road  laid  out  and  built 
"  from  the  bridge  to  Dunstable  meeting  house." 

In  1732  Townsend  was  incorporated,  takincr 
in  the  southerly  part  of  the  town,  including 
Pepperell.  Thus  township  after  township  had 
become  parcelled  out  from  the  original  body  of 
"old  Dunstable",  until  in  1740  the  broad  and 
goodly  plantation  was  reduced  to  that  portion 
only  which  is  now  embraced  within  the  limits 
of  Nashua  and  Nashville,  Tyngsborough  and 
Dunstable.  At  length,  after  a  long  and  violent 
controversy,  and  against  the  wishes  of  the  inhab- 
itants, the  boundary  line  between  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Massachusetts  was  established  in  1741, 
severing  Dunstable  very  nearly  in  the  middle, 
and  leaving  the  present  towns  of  Nashua  and 
Nashville  within  the  limits  of  New  Hampshire. 
With  the  exception  of  a  small  section  set  off  to 
Hollis,  this  portion  retains  the  territory  which  it 


13 


148  HISTORY  OF 


had  in  1741,  and  contains  by  computation,  about 
18,878  acres. 

After  the  death  of  Rev.  Mr.  Prentice,  Rev. 
Josiah  Swan  received  a  call  to  settle  over  the 
church  and  town.  He  accepted  the  call,  and 
was  ordained  Dec.  27,  1738.  Mr.  Swan  is  said 
to  have  been  a  native  of  Dunstable,  and  grad- 
uated at  Harvard  in  1733.  In  1739  he  married 
Jane  [Mr.  Sperry  says  erroneously  Rachael.] 
Blanchard,  daughter  of  Joseph  Blanchard,  Esq., 
of  this  town.  In  1741,  however,  on  the  division 
of  the  town  by  the  new  boundary,  it  became 
more  difficult  to  support  a  minister.  Not  long 
afterwards  the  sect  then  called  "  New  Lights  ", 
but  since  known  as  Methodists,  appeared,  and  a 
division  in  his  society  ensued.  The  churches 
were  "infected  with  lay  exhorters,  and  some 
ministers  who  have  left  their  parishes  and 
charges  and  undertaken  to  play  the  bishop  in 
another  man's  diocese",  as  the  regular  clergy 
complained,  and  "distracted  by  such  persons 
exhorting  and  preaching  in  private  houses  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  stated  pastor."  (I.) 

We  have  seen  that  the  question  of  building  a 
new  meeting  house  was  discussed  as  far  back  as 
1732,  and  a  vote  taken  fixing  its  location.  In 
November,  1734,  John  Kendall  and  others  re- 
monstrated to  the  General  Assembly  against  its 
location,  and  asked  for  a  committee.  (2.)  The 
records  of  the  town  from  1733  to  1746  are  lost, 
but  it  is  known  that  the  vote  was  inoperative 
and  the  house  not  built  until  1738,  when  Mr. 
Swan  was  settled.  It  stood  near  the  old  burying 
ground  not  far  from  the  State  line,  having  been 
built  for  the  accommodation  of  the  original  town- 

(l.)  Allen's  C/ielmsford,  116. 

(2.)  Ecclesiastical  Records,  I734,7>a<§-e  70. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  149 

ship.  Immediately  after  the  division  of  the 
town,  it  became  necessary  to  erect  a  new  meeting 
house  in  a  more  central  situation.  But  so  diverse 
were  the  interests  and  the  feeh'ngs  of  our  then 
widely  scattered  population,  that  no  location  was 
satisfactory.  June  20,  1746,  the  town  voted 
"that  the  place  of  preaching  the  gospel  this 
summer  be  at  Ephraim  Lund's  barn.'''  After 
sundry  votes,  protests  and  reconsiderations,  com- 
mittees, reports  and  compromises,  the  town  voted 
to  accept  the  proposal  of  Jona.  Lovewell  and 
others  to  build  the  meeting  house  on  their  own 
account,  and  to  have  the  liberty  of  selling  all  the 
wall  pews  for  their  own  benefit. 

The  House  was  built  accordingly  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1747,  "on  a  spot  of  rising  ground 
about  six  rods  icest  of  the  main  road'' ,  which  is 
a  few  rods  northerly  of  the  present  South  meet- 
ing house.  It  was  about  twenty-eight  feet  by 
forty ;  had  a  small  gallery,  and  was  divided  like 
the  old  one.  into  the  ''men's  side'"  and  the 
c:  women's  side.'; 


fe 


CHAPTER  X. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE,  N.  H.,  TO   THE  OLD 
FRENCH  WAR. 

APRIL  4,  1746,  the  town  was  first  incorporated 
by  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  having  previ- 
ously acted  under  their  charter,  obtained  from 
the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  in  1673. — 
It  retained  the  ancient  name  of  DUNSTABLE. 

In  1746  the  great  road  to  Tyngshorough  was 
stated  anew  and  recorded.  There  would  seem 
to  have  been  but  few  houses  upon  this  road  at 
that  time.  The  following  are  all  that  are  men- 
tioned : —  Capt.  Joseph  French's  house  was  8 
rods  north  of  the  State  line ;  Col.  Joseph  Blanch- 
ard's  house,  300  rods  north  of  the  State  line,  and  29 
rods  south  of  "Cummings's  Brook  ";  Cyrus  Bald- 
win's near  Col.  ^Blanchard's ;  John  Searles' 
house  66  rods  north  of  Cummings's  Brook  ;'  Hen- 
ry Adams's  80  rods  north  of  Searles'  house;  the 
old  ditch  which  led  to  the  Fort  was  90  rods  north 
of  Adams's  house ;  Thomas  Harwood's  house 
was  90  rods  north  of  the  old  ditch;  no  other 
house  mentioned  between  Harwood's  and  Nashua 
River,  excepting  Jonathan  Lovewell's,  which 
was  283  rods  south  of  the  River,  or  at  the 
Harbor,  south  of  Salmon  Brook. 

About  this  time  the  difficulties  with  Mr.  Swan 
having  increased,  he  was  dismissed.  He  did  not 
leave  town,  however,  immediately,  for  we  find 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  fcC.  151 


his  name  recorded  the  next  year  as  having  voted 
against  a  successor.  He  settled  in  full  with  the 
town,  March  2,  1747.  He  did  not  remain  here 
long,  but  returned  to  Lancaster,  Mass.,  his  former 
place  of  residence.  Here  he  was  engaged  in  the 
tuition  of  a  school,  which  had  been  his  occupa- 
tion previous  to  his  entrance  upon  the  ministry, 
and  became  "  a  famous  teacher."  He  remained 
at  Lancaster  until  about  1760,  when  he  removed 
to  Walpole,  N.  H.,  where  he  died.  (1.) 

Of  his  character  little  is  known,  and  a  single 
anecdote  has  reached  us.  From  this,  however, 
from  his  dealings  with  the  town  in  regard  to  his 
salary,  and  from  the  amount  of  his  taxes,  for  he 
owned  a  farm,  we  may  infer  that  he  amassed 
some  property,  and  was  a  prudent,  stirring, 
thrifty,  but  not  over  spiritual  man.  One  Sabbath 
morning,  it  is  said,  during  the  latter  part  of  his 
ministry,  while  old  Mr.  Lovewell  was  alive,  he 
forgot  the  day  and  ordered  his  hired  men  to  their 
work.  They  objected,  telling  him  it  was  Sunday. 
He  would  not  believe  it,  but  finally,  says  he, 
"  if  it  is  Sunday,  we  shall  soon  see  old  father 
Lovewell  coming  up  the  hill"  ;  and  sure  enough, 
punctual  as  the  clock  to  the  hour,  the  old  man, 
then  more  than  a  hundred  years  of  age,  but  who 
never  missed  a  Sunday,  was  seen  making  his 
way  to  church,  and  Mr.  Swan  was  convinced 
of  his  mistake. 

At  this  time  there  was  neither  school  nor 
schoolhouse  in  town.  Sept.  29,  1746,  it  was 
voted  that  "  Jona.  Lovewell  be  desired  to  hire 
a  school  master  until  the  next  March  for  this 
town,  upon  the  cost  and  charge  of  the  town." — 
Two  dwelling  houses,  one  in  the  northern  and 
one  in  the  southern  portions  of  the  town,  were 

( 1 . )    Willard's  History  of  Lancaster,  citing  2  Mass.  Hist.  Coll. ,  55 . 


152  HISTORY    OF 


designated,  in  which  the  school  should  be  kept, 
"if  they  could  be  obtained."  But  one  teacher 
was  employed,  and  he  was  to  keep  school  half 
of  the  time  at  each  place.  The  number  of  in- 
habitants was  probably  about  400. 

During  this  year  the  Indians  committed  much 
havoc  in  the  frontier  towns,  around  and  above  us. 
Many  settlements  above  us  were  nearly  or  quite 
deserted.  "  The  defenceless  state  they  were  in 
obliged  them  all,  namely,  Peterborough,  Salem 
Canada,  [Lyndeborough,]  New  Boston  and  Hills- 
borough,  [so  called,]  entirely  to  draw  off,  as  well 
as  the  forts  on  the  Connecticut  river.  (1.)  In 
the  winter  of  1745  and  1746  scouts  were  fur- 
nished by  this  State  and  Massachusetts  for  the 
protection  of  those  towns. 

In  May,  1747,  the  inhabitants  of  Souhegan 
West,  [Amherst,]  and  Monson,  [a  town  formerly 
lying  between  Amherst  and  Hollis,  afterwards 
divided  and  annexed  to  those  towns,]  petitioned 
Gov.  Wentworth  for  a  guard,  being  "  in  imminent 
danger."  The  petition  was  granted,  and  his 
"  Excellency  was  desired  to  give  orders  for  en- 
listing or  impressing-  fifteen  good  and  efficient 
men,  to  scout  and  guard,  under  proper  officers, 
said  Souhegan  West  and  Monson,  till  the  twen- 
tieth day  of  October  next,  if  need  be,  and  that 
said  men  be  shifted  once  a  month." 

It  was  about  this  time,  probably,  that  Jonathan 
Farwell  and  Taylor  were  taken  captive  by  the 
Indians,  while  hunting  in  the  south  part  of  this 
town.  They  were  carried  to  Canada,  and  sold 
to  the  French,  where  they  remained  in  captivity 
three  years ;  but  finally  succeded  in  obtaining 
their  release,  and  returned  to  their  friends.  A 
daughter  of  Farwell,  Mrs.  Rachael  Harris, 

(1.)  Province  Records,  1747.    5  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  253. 


1 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,   &C.  153 

grand  daughter  also  of  Noah  Johnson,  one  of 
Lovewell's  men,  is  still  living  [1840J  in  this 
town. 

After  the  dismission  of  Mr.  Swan,  in  May, 
1747,  Rev.  Samuel  Bird  preached  here.  Aug. 
31,  1747,  he  received  a  call  to  settle,  and  was 
soon  after  ordained.  By  the  terms  of  his  contract 
he  was  to  have  "100  ounces  of  coined  silver, 
Troy  weight,  sterling  alloy,  or  the  full  value 
thereof  in  bills  of  public  credit,"  or  about 
$100,00  yearly,  for  his  salary,  provided  "  that 
he  preach  a  lecture  once  in  three  months  at  least 
in  this  town,'3  and  "  visit  and  catechise  the 
people,"  At  this  choice  there  was  much  dissat- 
isfaction, and  the  town  was  nearly  equally  di- 
vided. 

Mr.  Bird  was  a  "  New  Light,"  and  his  ordi- 
nation was  a  triumph.  His  friends,  however,  at 
the  head  of  whom  was  Jonathan  Lovewell,  stood 
by  him,  and  by  them  the  new  meeting  house, 
before  mentioned,  was  erected.  His  opponents, 
at  the  head  of  whom  was  Col.  Blanchard,  com- 
plained of  the  injustice  of  being  compelled  to 
pay  Mr.  Bird,'  and  all  who  were  dissatisfied 
were  freely  excused.  But  the  quarrel  was  sec- 
tarian, and  could  not  be  appeased.  A  division 
in  the  church  ensued,  and  a  new  church  was 
organized,  which  worshipped  in  the  old  meeting 
house,  in  conjunction  with  members  from  Tyngs- 
borough  and  Dunstable.  Lovewell  and  Blanch- 
ard were  both  distinguished  men,  and  had  been 
much  in  public  life.  The  question  soon  assumed 
a  party  shape  and  laid  the  foundation  of  political 
differences,  which  after  the  lapse  of  a  century 
are  not  entirely  forgotten  or  obliterated. 

It  was  soon  discovered  by  Blanchard  that 
neither  by  the  new  charter  of  the  town,  nor  by 


154  HISTORY    OF 


any  existing  law  of  the  State  was  there  any 
provision  for  calling  the  first  meeting  of  the  town, 
after  its  recent  incorporation  by  New  Hampshire. 
Massachusetts  having  no  legal  jurisdiction  over 
the  town,  any  organization  under  its  old  charter 
was  illegal  and  void.  He,  therefore,  petitioned 
the  legislature  of  New  Hampshire  that  an  inves- 
tigation might  be  had  into  the  authority  and 
proceedings  of  the  town  meeting,  which  gave 
Mr.  Bird  a  call,  and  that  all  its  transactions 
should  be  set  aside  as  contrary  to  law. 

An  investigation  was  held  accordingly.  Much 
evidence  was  introduced,  and  long  and  learned 
arguments  made  on  both  sides.  The  petitioners 
contended  that  they  paid  two  thirds  of  the  taxes, 
and  Mr.  Bird's  friends  rejoined  that  they  had  a 
majority  of  the  voters.  Finally,  it  was  decided 
that  the  meeting  was  illegal  —  all  its  proceedings 
were  set  aside,  and  a  special  act  was  passed 
providing  for  the  call  of  a  new  meeting,  and  the 
legal  organization  of  the  township  under  its  new 
charter.  This  was  in  1748.  (1.) 

After  this  decision,  and  the  triumph  of  Blancli- 
ard,  Mr.  Bird  left  town,  and  settled  in  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  but  afterwards  became  Chaplain 
in  the  Army,  in  the  French  War  of  1755.  At 
what  period  he  left  Dunstable  is  uncertain.  Mr. 
Farmer  says  it  was  in  1751,  (2.)  but  it  was 
probably  earlier.  His  name  is  not  mentioned  in 
the  town  records  after  1748,  nor  was  any  money 
raised  for  the  support  of  preaching  by  the  town. 
In  January,  1751,  Jonathan  Lovewell  \vas  at 
length  chosen  a  committee  to  hire  preaching,  and 
in  March,  1751,  it  was  voted  that  the  preaching 

( 1 . )  Original  papers  in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State,  at  Concord. 
Province  Papers,  Dunstable. 
(2.)  1  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  150. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  155 

should  then  again  be  held  at  the  new  meeting 
house,  formerly  occupied  by  Mr.  Bird. 

How  strong  was  the  feeling  about  the  settle- 
ment of  Mr.  Bird,  and  how  bitter  the  hostility 
between  his  friends  and  his  opponents,  we  may 
judge  from  sundry  remarks  contained  in  a  peti- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  of  Pine  Hill  to  be  set 
oft'  to  Hollis.  The  petition  was  dated  June. 
1763.  "Soon  after  Dunstable  was  incorporated," 
says  the  petition,  "  they  got  into  parties  about 
the  settlement  of  Mr.  Bird.  Each  courted  Pine 
Hill's  assistance,  promising  to  vote  them  off  to 
Hollis  as  soon  as  the  matter  was  settled.  And 
so  Pine  Hill  was  fed  with  Sugar  Plums  for  a 
number  of  years,  till  at  length  Dunstable  cast 
off  the  mask  and  now  appears  in  their  true  col- 
ours." After  alluding  to  the  objections  raised  by 
Dunstable,  they  add:  —  "Their  apprehension 
must  arise  from  some  other  quarter.  They  wish 
to  keep  us  as  a  whip  for  one  party  or  the  other 
to  drive  out  every  minister  that  comes  there,  for 
they  are  always  divided  with  respect  to  these 
things."  (1.) 

In  1749,  the  town  "voted  to  hire  a  school  for 
eight  months."  One  teacher  only  was  to  be 
employed,  and  the  school  was  to  be  kept  in  four 
places  in  different  parts  of  the  town,  alternately. 
Soon  after  this  the  French  War  commenced, 
which  was  very  burdensome  to  the  Province,  and 
exposed  the  frontiers  to  Indian  attacks,  and  no 
other  record  of  any  school  is  found  until  1761, 
when  the  town  raised  a  small  sum,  "  to  hire 
schooling  and  houses  for  that  end."  This  was 
at  the  commencement  of  the  difficulties  with  the 
mother  country,  and  the  importance  of  education 
began  to  be  more  sensibly  felt.  After  this  time 
money  was  raised  for  this  purpose  almost  every 

(I.)  Dunstable  Papers, in  office  of  Secretary  of  State,  Concord. 


156  HISTORY    OF 


year,  but  it  was  not  until  the  Revolution  that 
the  people  were  fully  awakened.  In  1772,  Jo- 
seph Dix  was  "  the  Schoolmaster"  and  he  con- 
tinued to  teach  in  town  for  many  years.  In 
1775.  the  town  was  divided  into  five  School 
Districts,  and  school  houses  were  first  erected. 
In  1777  each  district  received  its  proportion  of 
money  from  the  town,  and  hired  its  own  teachers, 
which  had  been  formerly  done  by  the  town. — 
Females  now  began  occasionally  to  be  employed. 
From  this  period  until  1790,  about  £30,  or  $100 
was  raised  annually  for  the  support  of  schools. 
or  twenty  dollars  to  each  district.  From  this 
fact  we  may  imagine  the  advantages  of  education 
enjoyed  by  our  fathers  at  that  period,  and  com- 
pare them  with  the  privileges  of  children  at  the 
present  day. 

The  bridges  over  the  Nashua  have  always  been 
a  source  of  much  trouble  and  expense  to  the 
town.  At  what  period,  and  where  the  first 
bridge  was  erected,  cannot  be  ascertained  with 
certainty,  but  there  was  a  bridge  over  the  Nashua 
not  far  from  the  present  one  at  Main  street,  pre- 
vious to  1746,  when  the  road  was  surveyed  and 
recorded  anew  by  the  Selectmen  in  very  near  its 
present  location.  In  the  spring  of  1753  it  was 
carried  away  by  a  freshet,  and  rebuilt  the  same 
summer  at  an  expense  of  £150.  Before  1759 
it  was  in  a  ruinous  condition,  and  the  town  pe- 
titioned to  the  General  Court  for  "  liberty  to 
raise  a  Lottery  for  repairing  the  Bridge,  or  build- 
ing a  new  one."  The  lottery  was  not  granted, 
but  a  new  bridge  was  built,  partly  by  subscrip- 
tion, and  partly  by  the  town  in  1740".  *  It  stood 
"  a  little  above  "  the  old  bridge,  tfut  below  the 
present.  In  the  spring  of  1775  it  was  again 
carried  away  by  a  freshet,  but  was  rebuilt  the 
same  season  in,  the  same  place. 

tt  .  


fc     •        '  '••          '  '      — ~ 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  157 

Between  1752  and  1756,  (I.)  died  JOHN  LOVE- 
WELL,  at  the  great  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years,  the  oldest  person  who  ever  deceased  in 
New  Hampshire.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Dunstable,  after  Philip's  War,  but 
of  his  history  little  is  known.  He  came,  it  is 
said,  originally  from  England,  about  1660,  and 
settled  some  years  before  1690,  It  is  not  im- 
probable that  he  came  to  this  town  from  Wey- 
mouth,  as  a  person  of  the  same  name,  from  that 
town,  was  in  the  great  Narragansett  Swamp 
Fight,  Dec.  19,  1675,  and  throughout  Philip's 
War,  under  the  famous  Capt.  Church  ;  and  the 
hand-writing  of  this  person  corresponds  very 
closely  with  that  of  John  Lovewell  of  Dunsta- 
ble, (2.)  He  is  said,  according  to  the  tradition 
in  the  family,  to  have  been  an  Ensign  in  the 
army  of  Cromwell,  and  to  have  left  England 
on  account  of  the  Restoration  of  Charles  II.  in 
1660.  This  army  of  30,000  men  was  raised  in 
1653,  and  Cromwell  died  in  1658.  During  the 
Indian  difficulties,  about  1700,  it  is  said  that  he 
was  often  spared  by  the  Indians  in  their  incur- 
sions, because  he  had  been  kind  to  them  in  time 
of  peace.  (3.)  He  is  represented  as  being  even 
then  old  and  white  haired,  and  for  such  scalps 
the  French  Governor  paid  no  bounty.  The  cellar 
of  his  house  may  still  be  seen  on  the  north  side 
of  Salmon  Brook,  just  above  the  bridge,  by  the 
road  side,  and  there  for  a  long  time,  when  very 
much  advanced  in  years,  he  kept  a  small  store. 
There,  too,  he  had  a  mill,  and  his  farm  reached 
far  to  the  south  of  Salmon  Brook.  He  must 
have  been  extremely  vigorous,  for  as  late  as  1745, 
when  more  than  one  hundred  years  old,  he  was 

(I.)  Farmer's  Manuscripts. 

(2.)  Original  papers  in  Mass.  Records,  1676,  1725. 

(3.)  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  136.     Farmer's  Historical  Catechism,S8. 


158 


HISTORY  OF 


very  constant  in  his  attendance  upon  church, 
and  after  1752  used  to  chase  the  boys  out  of  his 
orchard  with  his  cane.  The  children  were,  1. 
John,  the  hero  of  Pequawkett ;  2.  5'acchens,  a 
Colonel  in  the  army  :  3.  Jonathan.  (1.) 

In  1753  the  town  contained  109  polls,  and  one 
female  slave.  There  were  four  mills  in  town, 
and  the  valuation  was  £3795. 

In  the  fall  of  1753,  Rev.  Benjamin  Adams, 
(a  graduate  of  Harvard  College  in  1738,)  preach- 
ed here  for  three  months,  and  the  greater  portion 
of  the  time  during  the  next  two  years. 

Decemher  21,  1753,  the  town  voted  to  build  a 
new  meeting  house,  "at  the  crotch  of  the  roads 
as  near  as  can  be  with  convenience  near  the 
house  where  Jonathan  Lovewell  now  dwells."' — 
This  was  the  tavern  stand  now  owned  by  Jesse 
Gibson,  about  two  mifes  below  Nashua  Village, 
and  the  meeting  house  was  built  upon  the  little 
triangular  green  in  front  of  it.  It  was  finished 
in  1754,  and  a  part  of  the  materials  of  the  old 
meeting  house  in  the  south  part  of  the  town, 
were  used  in  its  construction. 

(1.)  From  a  note  in  Mr.  Fox's  manuscript,  afterwards  crossed 
out  by  him,  he  appears  to  have  entertained  doubts  as  to  the  extreme 
age  of  John  Lovewell,  but  to  have  subsequently  dismissed  them. — 
The  following  is  the  note  referred  to  : 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  his  age  is  somewhat  overstated,  and 
that  the  father  and  grandfather  of  Capt.  John  are  confounded.  In 
1C91  we  find  in  the  records  of  the  town  the  names  of  John  Lovewell 
and  John  Lovewell,  Jr.  The  former  probably  came  from  England — 
the  latter  was  in  Philip's  War,  and  the  person  above  described. 

This  note  was  crossed  out,  and  the  following  written,  in  connection 
with  the  reference  to  Farmer's  manuscripts. 

"  He  was  certainly  alive  in  1732,  as  appears  by  a  deed  in  which 
he  styles  himself  "  the  oiiginal  proprietor."  He  must  have  been 
aged,  howevor,  since  he  did  not  write  his  name  as  usual,  and  his 
mark  is  faint." 

It  has  been  thought  best  to  insert  both  the  above  notes. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE  FROM  THE  FRENCH 
WAR  TO  THE    REVOLUTION. 

HOWEVER  distracted  and  divided  our  predeces- 
sors may  have  been  in  relation  to  religious  affairs, 
we  may  justly  be  proud  of  them  for  their  una- 
nimity in  patriotism.  Exposed  for  so  many 
years  to  the  dangers  of  a  border  warfare,  every 
citizen  was  a  soldier.  The  story  of  Indian 
atrocities,  and  French  instigation  had  been  hand- 
ed down  from  father  to  son,  and  not  a  few  had 
shared  personally  in  the  conflicts.  To  hold  a 
commission  was  then  a  high  honor,  and  an  object 
worthy  of  any  man's  ambition,  for  it  was  only 
bestowed  upon  those  who  had  given  proofs  of 
courage  and  capacity.  Every  officer  might  ba 
called  at  any  moment  into  actual  service.  The 
military  spirit  was  fostered  as  a  duty,  and  New 
England  freedom,  which  placed  in  the  hand  of 
every  child  a  gun  as  well  as  a  spelling-book, 
made  necessarily  of  every  child  not  less  a  marks- 
man than  a  scholar. 

When  the  French  War  broke  out  in  1755,  an 
expedition  under  General  Sir  William  Johnson, 
was  planned  against  Crown  Point,  then  in  pos- 
session of  the  French.  A  regiment  of  five  hun- 
dred men  was  raised  in  New  Hampshire  for  this 
purpose,  and  the  command  of  it  was  given  to 
Col.  Joseph  Blanchard  of  this  town.  One  of  the 
companies  which  composed  the  regiment  was 


160  HISTORY    OF 


the  famous  Rangers,  of  which  Robert  Rogers 
was  Captain,  and  John  Stark,  (afterwards  Gen- 
eral,) was  Lieutenant.  The  regiment  was  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Edward,  and  "  was  employed  in 
scouting,  a  species  of  service  which  none  could 
perform  so  successfully  as  the  Rangers  of  New 
Hampshire.  Parties  of  them  were  frequently 
under  the  very  walls  of  the  French  garrisons, 
and  at  one  time  killed  and  scalped  a  soldier  near 
the  gate  of  the  fort  at  Crown  Point.  Late  in 
the  autumn  the  forces  were  disbanded,  and  the 
regiment  returned  to  their  homes."  One  of  the 
companies  composing  the  regiment  went  from 
Dunstable  and  the  vicinity,  and  was  commanded 
by  Capt.  Peter  Powers  of  Hollis.  Among  the 
officers  of  the  regiment  we  find  the  names  of 
Jonathan  Lovewell  of  this  town,  Commissary, 
Rev.  Daniel  Emerson  of  Hollis,  Chaplain,  and 
John  Hale  of  Hollis.  Surgeon.  (1.) 

The  war  still  continued,  and  New  Hampshire 
still  furnished  her  quota  of  troops  for  the  service. 
In  1759  another  regiment,  consisting  of  one 
thousand  men,  were  ordered  out  from  this  State. 
Col.  Blanchard  having  died  the  year  previous, 
the  command  of  it  was  given  to  Col.  Zaccheus 
Lovewell  of  this  town,  a  brother  of  Capt.  John 
Lovewell.  This  regiment,  of  which  one  or  more 
companies  were  from  this  vicinity,  joined  the 
main  army  under  Lord  Amherst,  and  was  pres- 
ent at  the  taking  of  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
Point,  where  it  did  good  service.  The  next  year 
a  regiment  of  eight  hundred  men  was  raised, 
chiefly  from  this  vicinity,  commanded  by  Col. 
John  Goftc  of  Bedford.  They  were  present  at 
the  capture  of  St.  John's,  Chamblee,  Montreal, 


(1.)  5  N.  II.  Hist.  Coll.,  217,  218.     1  Bdknap,  319. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,   &C.  161 


and  Quebec,  which  wrested  all  Canada  from 
France  and  put  an  end  to  the  war.  (1.) 

There  is  scarcely  in  the  annals  of  America  a 
company  of  troops  more  famous  than  "  ROGERS'S 
RANGERS."  Their  life  was  one  scene  of  constant 
exposure,  and  their  story  reminds  one  of  the 
days  of  romance.  The  forest  Mras  their  home, 
and  they  excelled  even  the  Indian  in  cunning 
and  hardihood.  Everywhere  they  wandered  in 
search  of  adventures,  fearless  and  cautious,  until 
their  very  name  became  a  terror  to  the  enemy. 
Even  in  the  post  of  danger,  when  the  army  was 
advancing,  they  scouted  the  woods  to  detect  the 
hidden  ambush,  and  when  retreating  they  skir- 
mished in  the  rear  to  keep  the  foe  at  bay.  If  any 
act  of  desperate  daring  was  to  be  done,  the 
Rangers  were  "  the  forlorn  hope.''  At  mid- 
night they  traversed  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  or 
carried  off  a  sentinel  from  his  post  as  if  in 
mockery.  Their  blow  fell  like  lightning,  and 
before  the  echo  had  died  away  or  the  alarm  sub- 
sided, another  blow  was  struck  at  some  far  dis- 
tant point.  They  seemed  to  be  omnipresent,  and 
the  enemy  deemed  that  they  were  in  league  with 
evil  spirits.  The  plain,  unvarnished  tale  of  their 
daily  hardships  and  perilous  wanderings,  their 
strange  adventures,  and  "hairbreadth  'scapes" 
would  be  as  wild  and  thrilling  as  a  German 
legend. 

Of  this  company,  and  of  others  similar  in 
character,  a  large  number  belonged  to  this  town. 
The  records  are  lost  and  their  names  are  princi- 
cipally  forgotten.  Besides  the  two  Colonels, 
Blanchard  and  Lovewell,  and  the  Commissary, 
Jonathan  Lovewell,  it  is  known  that  the  sons 
of  Noah  Johnson,  the  last  survivor  of  Love  well's 
Fight,  were  in  the  war,  both  of  whom  were 

(1.)  1  BclJ;nap,3\t>,  320. 


162  HISTORY    OF 


killed.  One  of  them,  Noah  was  an  officer,  and 
was  killed  at  the  storming  of  Quebec,  fighting 
under  Wolfe.  Nehemiah  Lovewell  was  a  Lieu- 
tenant in  1756,  and  a  Captain  in  1758  and  1760. 
Jonathan  Farwell,  William  Harris,  Thomas 
Killicut,  Thomas  Blanchard,  Jonathan  Blanch- 
ard,  Eleazer  Farwell,  Benjamin  Hassell,  James 
Mann,  Ebenezer  Fosdick,  Bunker  Farwell,  John 
Lamson,  Simeon  Blood,  Thomas  Lancey,  Eph- 
raim  Butterfield,  John  Carkin,  James  French, 
Henry  Farwell,  Nathaniel  Blood,  Joseph  Combs. 
John  Gilson,  James  Harwood,  John  Huston. 
Joshua  Wright,  William  Walker,  John  Harwood 
and  William  Lancey,  were  also  out  during  the 
war,  as  was  also  Lt.  David  Alld,  and  the  gun 
which  he  then  carried  is  still  in  the  possession 
of  his  daughters. 

In  the  expedition  of  1760,  Col.  Gofle  com- 
manded the  regiment  which  mustered  at  Litch- 
field.  His  destination  was  Crown  Point  and 
Canada.  A  select  company  of  Rangers  was 
formed  from  the  regiment,  and  the  command 
given  to  Capt.  Nehemiah  Lovewell  of  this  town. 
As  a  specimen  of  the  military  dress  and  discipline 
of  the  time,  the  following  order  is  inserted.  It 
is  copied  from  Adjutant  Hobart's  record,  and  is 
dated  Lilchfield,  May  25,  1760  :  —  "  Col.  Goffe 
requires  the  officers  to  be  answerable  that  the 
men's  shirts  are  changed  twice  every  week  at 
least ;  that  such  as  have  hair  that  will  admit 
of  it  must  have  it  constantly  tyed ;  they  must 
be  obliged  to  comb  their  heads,  and  wash  their 
hands  every  morning,  and  as  it  is  observed  that 
numbers  of  the  men  accustom  themselves  to 
wear  woollen  nightcaps  in  the  day  time,  he  allows 
them  hats ;  they  are  ordered  for  the  future  not 
to  be  seen  in  the  day  time  with  any  thing  besides 
,  their  hats  on  their  heads,  as  the  above  mentioned 

B — 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  163 

custom  of  wearing  nightcaps  must  be  detrimental 
to  their  health  and  cleanliness;  the  men's  hats 
to  be  all  cocked,  or  cut  uniformly  as  Col.  Goffe 
pleases  to  direct/'  (1.) 

September  26,  1757,  the  town  voted,  "  that 
some  measures  be  taken  to  settle  the  Gospel  in 
this  town  "  ;  and  four  persons  were  selected  to 
preach  one  month  each,  on  probation.  Nov.  7, 
they  gave  a  call  to  Rev.  Elias  Smith,  (a  gradu- 
ate of  Harvard  in  1753.)  but  difficulty  ensued, 
and  Dec.  16,  the  call  was  retracted.  (2.)  It  was 
a  custom  for  those  dissatisfied  to  enter  their 
protest  and  as  a  curiosity  and  a  specimen,  the 
following  is  inserted  : 

"  We  the  subscribers,  being  freeholders  in  Dunstnble, 
do  for  ourselves  protest  against  the  choice  of  Mr.  Elias 
Smith  for  our  minister,  which  they  have  essayed  to  choose, 
and  for  these  reasons;  first,  because  we  are  not  of  the 
persuasion  he  preaches  and  iridevors  to  maintain;  we  are 
Presbyterians,  and  do  adhere  to  the  Westminster  Confes- 
sion of  faith ;  and  do  declare  it  to  be  the  confession  of  our 
faith ;  and  that  we  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Londonderry  —  some  18  years  —  some  15  years, 
and  have  partaken  of  Baptism,  nnd  of  the  Lord's  supper 
as  frequently  as  we  could,  they  being  the  sealing  ordi- 
nances, and  that  we  cannot  in  conscience  join  in  calling  or 
paying  Mr.  Smith.  Therefore  we  plead  the  liberty  of  con- 
science that  we  may  hear  and  pay  where  we  can  have 
benefit."  JOHX  ALLD,  JEREMIAH  COLBDRN. 

There  was  also  a  protest  of  David  Hobart 
and  others  against  his  settlement,  because,  as 
they  say,  "  Mr.  Smith's  preaching  is  contrary  to 
our  persuasion,  and  as  we  judge  favors  the  Ar- 
miniau  scheme,  which  we  judge  tends  to  pervert 
the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  darken  the  counsels 
of  God." 

April   7,  1758,   died    Col.  Joseph    Blanchard, 

(I.)  Regimental  Records,  in  Secretary's  office,  Concord. 
(2.)  Perhaps  tfle  founder  of  the  sect  of  Christians. 


164  HISTORY    OF 


x- 


aged  53.  He  was  born  Feb.  11,  1704,  and  his 
grandfather,  Deacon  John  Blanchard,  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town.  His  father, 
Capt.  Joseph  Blanchard,  was  town  clerk,  select- 
man and  proprietor's  clerk  for  many  years,  a 
very  active  and  useful  citizen,  and  died  in  1727. 
On  the  death  of  his  father,  although  young,  Jo- 
seph Blanchard  was  chosen  proprietor's  clerk, 
which  office  he  held,  with  a  slight  interval,  during 
his  life,  and  was  constantly  engaged  in  town 
business  until  his  death.  In  early  life  he  became 
distinguished  as  a  surveyor  of  land,  and  was 
almost  constantly  employed  in  that  capacity. — 
In  conjunction  with  Rev.  Dr.  Langdon,  of  Ports- 
mouth, he  projected  a  map  of  New  Hampshire, 
which  was  published  after  his  death,  in  1761. 
and  inscribed  to  "  Hon.  Charles  Townsend,  his 
Majesty's  Secretary  of  War." 

At  this  period  no  accurate  maps  of  the  State 
existed,  and  to  prepare  one  from  the  then  scanty 
materials  must  have  been  a  work  of  great  mag- 
nitude. Surveys  were  to  be  made,  and  informa- 
tion collected  from  every  quarter.  Most  of  the 
labor,  of  course,  fell  on  Col.  Blanchard.  The 
greater  part  of  our  territory  was  then  a  wilder- 
ness, for  our  whole  population  scarcely  exceeded 
50,000,  and  the  means  of  intercommunication 
were  limited  and  difficult.  But  settlements  were 
springing  up  rapidly,  and  the  lands  were  be- 
coming every  day  more  and  more  valuable,  and 
accuratej  information  of  the  localities  was  im- 
portant. Under  these  circumstances  the  map 
was  considered  of  great  value,  and  as  a  token 
of  their  estimate  of  it,  Mr.  Townsend  procured 
from  the  University  of  Glasgow,  for  Mr.  Lang- 
don, (Col.  Blanchard  having  deceased,)  the 
honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  (1.) 

(1.)  1  Belknap,3l2. 


•    — g 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  165 

Upon  the  dissolution  of  the  connexion  between 
New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts  in  1741,  and 
the  accession  of  Benning  Wentworth  as  Gov- 
ernor, Mr.  Blanchard  received  the  appointment 
of  Counsellor  of  State  by  mandamus  from  the 
Crown.  This  was  an  office  of  great  dignity  and 
authority,  and  next  to  that  of  Governor,  was  the 
most  honorable  and  responsible  in  the  colonies, 
in  the  gift  of  the  king.  This  office  he  held  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  probably  until  his  death. 
In  1749,  on  the  death  of  Chief  Justice  Jaffrey, 
he  was  appointed  a  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court 
of  Judicature  of  the  State,  which  office  he  held 
during  life. 

When  the  old  French  War  broke  out  in  1755, 
an  expedition  was  planned  against  Crown  Point. 
New  Hampshire  raised  a  regiment  of  500  men, 
and  Mr.  Blanchard  was  appointed  Colonel.  Of 
this  regiment,  the  famous  Rangers,  under  the 
command  of  Rogers  and  Stark,  formed  a  part. 
The  regiment  was  stationed  at  Fort  Edward, 
and  returned  home  in  the  autumn  of  the  same 
year. 

Col.  Blanchard  married  Rebecca  Hubbard. 
[Hobart?]  by  whom  he  had  twelve  children. — 
He  died  in  this  town  and  is  buried  in  the  Old 
South  Burying  Ground  ;  his  tombstone  bears  the 
following  inscription:  — "  The  Hon.  Joseph 
Blanchard,  Esqr.,  deceased  April  the  7th,  1758. 
aged  53." 

November  27,  1758,  the  town  voted  to  give 
Rev.  Josiah  Cotton  a  call,  and  offered  178  milled 
dollars  salary.  Jan.  29,  1 758,  /they  added  £5 
sterling,  making  his  salary  about  $200.  The 
call  was  accepted, —  the  day  of  ordination  ap- 
pointed, and  the  churches  invited  to  attend  to 
assist  in  the  services.  But  a  quarrel  ensued  as 
usual, —  the  opposition  prevailed,  and  Mr.  Cotton 


166  HISTORY    OF 


was  not  ordained.  Protests  were  entered  at 
every  meeting  by  the  minority,  as  each  party  in 
turn  prevailed. 

In  1759,  in  consequence  of  the  divisions  and 
the  bitterness  of  feeling  which  existed,  an  Eccle- 
siastical Council  was  called  to  settle  the  difficul- 
ties. For  many  years  there  had  been  two  chur- 
ches and  two  meeting-houses,  but  no  minister.  — 
After  much  trouble  and  effort,  a  compromise  was 
made,  and  an  union  effected.  Mr.  Bird's  meet- 
ing house  was  purchased  by  Jona.  Lovewell,  re- 
moved, and  converted  into  a  dwelling  house, 
which  is  now  occupied  by  Jesse  Bowers,  Esq., 
and  the  two  societies  again  became  one. 

As  the  town  at  its  public  meetings  settled  and 
paid  the  minister,  so  it  determined  his  creed,  and 
we  find  accordingly,  the  following  to  us  curious 
record.  In  1761,  a  town  meeting  was  called  ex- 
pressly <:to  see  what  doctrines  the  town  would 
support";  and  it  was  voted,  "that  the  Doctrines 
contained  in  the  New  England  Confession  of 
Faith  are  the  standing  doctrines  to  be  defended 
by  this  Town." 

July  19,  1762,  an  invitation  was  given  to  Mr. 
Jonathan  Livermore  to  settle  here.  He  was  to 
receive  £100,  for  a  settlement,  and  £10  sterling 
per  annum  salary,  "  if  he  will  fulfil  the  duties  of 
a  Gospel  minister  agreeably  to  the  Congregation- 
al persuasion,  according  to  Cambridge  Platform, 
and  New  England  Confession  of  Faith."  This 
proviso  was  adopted  by  a  party  vote,  and  was  a 
renewal  of  the  old  sectarian  difficulties  of  past 
years.  Mr.  Livermore  would  not  accept  and  af- 
terward settled  in  Wilton. 

During  the  next  two  years  various  preachers 
were  heard,  but  not  to  general  satisfaction.  Al- 
though nominally  united  there  was  still  a  vari- 
ance at  heart,  and  no  attempt  was  made  to  settle 

.     .  —  a 

—  •  —  i  —  .  —  .  -  i  -----  —  ----   -  fg 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  107 

a  minister  until  August  1764.  A  call  was  then 
given  to  Mr.  Thomas  Fessenden,  (a  graduate  of 
Harvard  college  in  1750,)  and  an  offer  of  £100 
settlement,  and  £50  sterling  salary.  Against  this 
call  three  separate  protests  were  entered  by  per- 
sons styling  themselves  "Presperterions"  or  Pres- 
byterians, because  this  mode  of  settlement  was 
"contrary  to  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  Chris- 
tianity," and  "  of  our  persuasion."  Mr.  Fes- 
senden accepted  the  call,  but  such  was  the  spirit 
of  discord  that  he  was  never  ordained.  He  left 
town  very  soon  after,  for  he  commenced  a  suit  at 
law  against  the  town,  for  the  recovery  of  his 
salary  before  May,  1765,  and  recovered  judgment. 

For  nearly  tiventy  years  the  town  had  been 
without  a  settled  minister.  Sept.  12,  1766,  they 
gave  a  call  to  Mr.  Joseph  Kidder,  (a  graduate  of 
Yale  College  in  1764,)  and  offered  him  £132  6s. 
Sd.  [about  $450.]  for  a  settlement,  and  a  salary 
of  £53  6s.  8d.  lawful  money,  [or  about  $180.] 
Mr.  Kidder  accepted  the  invitation,  and  more 
fortunate  than  his  predecessors,  succeeded  in  being 
ordained  March  18,  1767.  After  many  years, 
old  difficul-ties  revived,  and  new  ones  arose. — 
Parties  were  again  formed,  and  in  1796,  by  a 
reference  of  all  disputes  to  a  committee  mutually 
chosen,  the  civil  connection  between  Mr.  Kidder 
and  the  town,  ceased.  He  was  the  last  minister 
over  the  town.  He  continued  his  relation  to  the 
church,  however,  as  before,  and  preached  to  his 
society  until  his  death,  Sept.  6,  1818.  Nov.  3, 
ISl^^Rev.  Ebenezer  P.  Sperry  was  ordained  as  his 
colleague,  but  was  dismissed  in  April,  1819.  (I.) 

A  picture  of  Dunstable  as  it  was  before  the 
Revolution,  and  of  the  manners  and  customs, 
opinions  and  feelings,  doings  and  sayings  of  the 

(1.)  Mr.  Sperry  is  now  or  was  recently  Chaplain  of  the  House 
of  Correction,  at  South  Boston. 

___ 


168  HISTORY    OF 


inhabitants,  would  be  highly  interesting.  To 
sketch  such  a  picture  would  require  the  hand  of 
a  master,  as  well  as  materials,  which  can  now 
hardly  be  obtained.  A  few  facts  and  anecdotes 
must  serve  instead. 

Slavery  was  then  considered  neither  illegal  nor 
immoral.  Several  slaves  were  owned  in  this 
town ;  one  by  Paul  Clogstone.  She  was  married 
to  a  free  black  named  Castor  Dickinson,  and  had 
several  children  born  here,  but  before  the  Revo- 
lution he  purchased  the  freedom  of  his  wife  and 
children.  Slavery  in  New  Hampshire  was  abol- 
ished by  the  Revolution* 

In  those  days  it  was  customary  to  drink  at  all 
meetings,  whether  of  joy  or  of  sorrow.  The 
idea  which  was  long  after  in  vogue  —  "to  keep 
the  spirits  up,  by  pouring  spirits  down  "  — seems 
to  have  been  then  universally  prevalent.  Even 
at  funerals  it  was  observed,  and  in  the  eyes  of 
many  it  was  quite  as  important  as  the  prayer. — 
The  mourners  and  friends  formed  themselves  in 
a  line,  and  an  attendant  with  a  jug  and  glass 
passed  around,  and  dealt  out  to  each  his  or  her 
portion  of  the  spirit ;  and  the  due  observance  of 
this  ceremony  was  very  rarely  omitted.  It  is 
said  that  sometimes  "one  more  thirsty  than  the 
rest,"  after  having  received  one  "portion,"  would 
slily  fall  back  from  the  line,  under  some  pretext 
or  other,  and  re-appear  in  a  lower  place,  in  season 
to  receive  a  second  portion.  (1.) 

(1.)  This  is  stated  on  the  authority  of  Mrs.  Kidder,  wife  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Kidder,  an  eye  witness. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


REVOLUTIONARY  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

FROM  the  commencement  of  our  Revolutionary 
difficulties,  a  deep  and  universal  feeling  of  indig- 
nation pervaded  the  community.  The  men  who 
had  settled  in  the  wilderness,  and  defended  their 
homes  from  the  attack  of  the  "  Indian  enemy," 
and  had  built  them  up  a  great  and  goodly  her- 
itage, unaided  by  stepdame  England,  were  not 
the  men  quietly  to  yield  up  their  dear  bought 
rights  without  a  struggle.  Their  love  for  the 
mother  country  was  never  very  strong,  for  there 
was  little  cause  for  gratitude,  and  the  first  ap- 
proach of  oppression  and  wrong  was  the  signal 
for  resistance.  This  feeling  was  stronger  in  New 
England  than  in  the  other  colonies,  and  manifest- 
ed itself,  at  an  earlier  period,  because  the  Puri- 
tans, having  been  forced  to  leave  their  Father 
land  by  oppression  and  insult,  and  having  made 
for  themselves  a  new  home  in  the  wilderness, 
unassisted  and  unprotected,  felt  it  a  more  grievous 
and  insufferable  wrong,  that  England  should 
seize  upon  the  first  moment  of  prosperity,  to  heap 
upon  them  new  oppression  and  new  insults  here. 

The  division  of  New  England  into  townships, 
—  those  "  little  democracies  "  as  they  were  aptly 
called, —  each  self-governed,  where  every  citizen 
feels  that  he  is  a  part  of  the  commonwealth,  has 
municipal  rights  and  duties,  and  learns  to  think 
and  act  for  himself,  was  an  excellent  school 


170 


HISTORY    OF 


for  training  up  the  Fathers  of  our  Republic,  and 
teaching  them  the  principles  of  self-government 
upon  a  more  extended  scale. 

During  the  long  succession  of  encroachments, 
which  preceded  and  caused  the  Revolution,  the 
inhabitants  of  this  town  were  not  indifferent. — 
They  had  watched  the  storm  as  it  gathered,  and 
knew  its  consequences  must  be  momentous. — 
After  the  establishment  of  the  boundary  line  in 
1741,  which  severed  us  from  Massachusetts,  no 
right  to  send  a  representative  was  conceded  for 
many  years.  At  that  period  this  right  was  a 
favor  granted  by  his  majesty,  through  his  "  be- 
loved, and  trust-worthy  Benning  Wentworth, 
Governor  of  his  Majesty's  Province  of  New 
Hampshire,"  and  bestowed  only  upon  the  loy al- 
and obedient.  In  1774,  however,  when  a  colli- 
sion with  England  began  to  be  very  generally 
expected,  the  General  Assembly  of  New  Hamp- 
shire claimed  for  itself  the  exercise  of  this  right, 
and  allowed  certain  representatives  from  towns 
not  heretofore  represented  a  seat  and  a  voice  in 
their  councils.  Immediately  a  petition  was  pre- 
sented from  this  town,  asking  the  privilege  of 
representation,  which  was  granted.  (1.) 

September,  1774,  Jonathan  Lovewell  was  sent 
as  a  delegate  to  the  Convention,  which  met  at 
Exeter  soon  after,  for  the  purpose  of  choosing 
delegates  to  the  FIRST  CONTINENTAL  CONGRESS. — 
At  the  same  town  meeting  the  town  voted  to 
raise  a  sum  of  money  "  to  purchase  a  mpply  of 
ammunition  ";  and  also  voted  to  pay  their  pro- 
portion of  the  "expenses  of  the  Delegate  to  the 
Grand  Continental  Congress,"  which  met  at 
Philadelphia  the  same  month,  and  which  pub- 
lished a  DECLARATION  OF  RIGHTS,  and  formed  an 


(1.)  2  Province  Papers.     Toiens,  253.    In  Secretary's  office. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,  &C. 


171 


"  association  not  to  import  or  use  British,  Goods." 
From  this  time  every  movement  for  liberty  met 
with  a  hearty  response. 

January  9,  1775,  Joseph  Ayers  and  Noah 
Love  well  were  chosen  to  represent  the  town  in 
the  Convention  which  met  at  Exeter,  April  25, 
1775,  for  the  purpose  of  appointing  delegates,  to 
act  for  this  State  in  the  Grand  Continental  Con- 
gress, to  be  held  at  Philadelphia,  May  10,  1775. 
At  this  meeting,  with  a  spirit  characteristic  of 
the  times,  and  evidently  anticipating  a  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  they  chose  "  Saml.  Roby, 
Jona.  Lovewell,  Joseph  Eayers,  Benjamin  Smith, 
John  Wright,  Benjamin  French,  James  Blanchard 
and  John  Searle,  a  Committee  of  Inspection  to 
see  that  the  Result  of  the  late  Continental  Con- 
gress be  carried  into  practice,  and  that  all  persons 
in  this  town  conform  themselves  thereto." 

Another  meeting  of  this  Convention  was  holden 
at  Exeter,  May  17,  1775;  at  which  the  same 
delegates  attended,  and  which  after  several  ad- 
journments, formed  a  Constitution  for  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  State.  This  Constitution,  which, 
is  dated  January  5,  1776,  was  the  earliest  one 
formed  in  the  United  States.  (1.)  It  was  adopted 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  Continental  Congress  of 
May,  1775  :  but  it  was  a  bold  step,  for  it  was  a 
denial  of  the  right  of  England  to  rule  over  us, 
and  a  virtual  Declaration  of  Independence.  It 
provided  for  a  House  of  Representatives,  and  a 
Council  of  twelve  men  to  be  chosen  by  the  House, 
and  to  form  a  separate  body  like  our  Senate. — 
There  was  to  be  no  Governor,  but  the  powers  of 
the  executive  were  vested  in  the  Council  and 
House  jointly.  If  the  dispute  with  England 
continued  longer  than  one  year,  the  members 
of  the  Council  were  to  be  chosen  by  the  people. 


(1.)  4  Ar.  H.  Hist.  Coll. 


*15 


172  HISTORY  OF 


Of  this   Council,  Jona.  Blanchard  of  this   town. 
was  a  member  in  1776. 

From  the  first  the  people  of  New  Hampshire, 
who  as  the  royalists  complained,  "  had  never  set 
any  good  example  of  obedience,"  were  desirous 
and  prepared  for  a  collision  ;  and  no  sooner  did  the 
news  of  the  fight  at  Lexington  on  the  nineteenth 
of  April,  1775,  reach  the  State,  than  the  whole 
population  rushed  to  arms.  In  these  movements 
the  citizens  of,  D  unstable  were  among  the  most 
zealous  ;  and  the  military  spirit  derived  from  their 
fathers,  and  the  military  experience  of  many  in 
the  French  Wars,  was  roused  at  once  into  activity 
by  the  noise  of  the  conflict.  Instantly  they  hur- 
ried to  Concord  to  avenge  the  blood  of  their  fel- 
low-citizens. Who  and  how  many  were  these 
•'  minute  men  "  we  do  not  know  ;  but  the  town 
paid  over  $110.00  for  their  expenses.  Within 
less  than  a  week  a  company  of  sixty-six  men 
was  organized  at  Cambridge,  under  Capt.  Wm. 
Walker  of  this  town,  forty  of  whom,  including 
the  officers,  were  also  from  Dunstable.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  Company  Roll  :  (1.) 

WILLIAM  WALKER,  Captain, 

*  James  Brown,  1st  Lieut.,  *Philip  Roby, 
*Daniel  Warner,  Sergeant,  *Jonathan  Harris, 
*John  Lund,              do.,  *WilIiam  Harris,  jr., 
fWilliam  A.  Hawkins,  do.,  *Arcliibald  Gibson, 
fFrancis  Putnam,      do.,  *Benjamin  Whitney, 
*Medad  Combs,  Corporal,  *Jonathan  Danforth, 
*Abijah  Reed,           do.,  *David  Adams, 
*John  Lovewell,       do.,  Jason  Russell, 
*Phineas  Whitney,  do.,  *Benjamin  Bagley, 

*  William  Harris,  Drummer,     Moses  Chandler, 
*Paul  Woods,  Fifer,  *Eliphalet  Bagley, 
*Simeon  Butterfield,  {Stephen  Chase, 
*Peter  Honey.  JJoshua  Severance, 
*Paul  Ciogstone,  }Nehemiah  Winn, 
yJoel  Stewart,  JJoseph  Greeley. 

(1.)  In  t~heojice~of  the  Secretary  of/State  . 

*From  Dunstable.    liFrom  Wilton.     JFrom  Hudson. 


-9 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  173 

*David  Adams,  jr.,  {Henry  Stevens, 

*Nehemiah  Lovewell,  {Jonathan  Gray, 

*Henry  Lovewell,  {Isaac  Brown, 
*William  Roby,  2nd  Lieut.,    fAsa  Cram, 

*Eleazer  Blanchard,  {Hart  Balch, 

*Richard  Adams,  {Stephen  Blanchard, 

*Ebenezer  Fosdick,  *Abel  Danforth. 

*William  Butterfiold,  *Simeon  Hills, 

*James  Gibson,  *James  Harvvood, 

David  March,  *Ichabocl  Lovewell, 

*John  Snow,  *Jacob  Blodgett, 

Moses  Chamberlain,  Silas  Chamberlain, 

•fNathan  Abbott,  Mansfield  Tapley, 

fTUnothy  Darling,  *Oliver  Woods, 

IDaniel  Brown,  *Nehemiah  Wright, 

iTheodore  Stevens,  flsrael  Howe, 

fHenry  Lovejoy,  .        "Jonathan  Emerson. 
lEliphalet  Blanchard,  jr., 

The  whole  male  population  of  the  town  at  this 
time  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  fifty,  was 
only  128;  so  that  nearly  one  half  the  able-bodied 
inhabitants  must  have  been  in  the  army,  at  the 
first  call  of  liberty,  a  month  before  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill.  From  no  other  town  in  New 
Hampshire  was  there  so  large  a  number  in  the 
army,  as  appears  by  the  returns;  and  we  record 
a  fact,  so  honorable  to  their  patriotism  and  cour- 
age, with  a  feeling  of  no  little  pride. 

The  Convention  which  met  at  Exeter.  April 
25.  1775,  a  few  days  after  the  fight  at  Lexington, 
organized  two  regiments,  for  the  assistance  of 
their  brethren  in  Massachusetts.  But  the  men 
were  not  to  be  recruited  ;  they  were  already  in 
the  field.  Within  two  weeks,  more  than  two 
thousand  men  from  New  Hampshire  had  joined 
the  army  around  Boston  ;  or  more  than  one  sev- 
enth of  the  whole  population  of  the  State,  be- 
tween the  ages  of  sixteen  and  fifty.  From  these 
the  two  regiments  were  formed  and  placed  under 

*From  Dunstable.    tFrom  Wilton. 


174 


HISTORY    OF 


the   command  of  Col.  Stark  and   Col.  Reed,  of 
which  this  company  formed  a  part. 

It  may  be  a  matter  of  curiosity  worthy  of 
record,  to  give  the  abstract  of  returns  of  popula- 
tion, number  of  soldiers  in  the  army,  in  May, 
1775,  number  of  males  between  the  ages  of  six- 
teen and  fifty  not  in  the  army,  and  ratio  of  sol- 
diers to  the  male  population.  This  had  been 
required  at  an  early  period  by  the  Convention, 
in  evident  anticipation  of  a  rupture  with  the 
mother  country,  in  order  to  ascertain  our  actual 
condition  and  resources.  The  original  returns 
also  included  the  number  of  arms,  deficiencies, 
quantity  of  powder,  &c.,  all  of  which  are  now 
in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  furnish 
an  admiral  specimen  of  the  forethought  of  the 
patriots  of  that  day.  (1.) 


Counties. 

Population. 

Number 
of  males 
in  army. 

Num. 
nein-'s 
and 
slaves 
forlife 

No.  males 
from  16  to 
50  not  in 
the    army. 

Ratio  of  soldiers 
to  male  popula- 
tion from  16  to 
50. 

Roekingham, 
Strafford, 
Hillsborough, 
Cheshire, 
Grafton, 

37,850 
12,713 
15,948 
10,659 

3,880 

927 
275 
650 
376 
156 

437 
103 

87 
7 
24 

6,383 

2,282 
2,723 
2,009 
834 

12*  in  100 

101  "100 
19i  "  100 
1543  "  100 
15$  "  100 

Total,       |81,050|2,3S4|65G|14,231|14J  "  100 

From  this  table  we  may  gather  some  facts 
which  will  enable  us  to  appreciate  more  truly 
the  spirit  and  the  sacrifices  of  that  period.  More 
than  fourteen  hundred  of  the  whole  male  popu- 
lation of  the  State,  between  the  ages  of  sixteen 
and  fifty  years,  were  in  the  army  in  May,  1775, 
or  nearly  one  out  of  every  five  who  was  able  to 
bear  arms.  Our  own  county,  old  Hillsborough, 


(I.)  1  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll. 
office. 


,231.     Original  returns  in  Secretary's 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  175 

excelled  them  all,  however,  having  at  that  time 
in  the  army  more  than  nineteen  in  every  hundred 
males,  between  sixteen  and  fifty,  or  at  least  one 
quarter  part  of  all  the  able-bodied  inhabitants. — 
A  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  an- 
other regiment  from  New  Hampshire,  under  the 
command  of  Col.  Poor,  joined  the  army  at  Cam- 
bridge. 

Previous  to  the  battle  the  New  Hampshire 
troops  were  stationed  at  Medford,  and  formed 
the  left  wing  of  the  American  Army.  "  These 
troops,"  says  Major  Swett,  (1.)  "  were  hardy, 
brave,  active,  athletic  and  indefatigable.  Al- 
most every  soldier  equalled  William  Tell  as  a 
marksman,  and  could  aim  his*  weapon  at  an  op- 
pressor with  as  keen  a  relish.  Those  from  the 
frontiers  had  gained  this  address  against  the  sav- 
ages and  beasts  of  the  forests.  The  country  yet 
abounded  with  game,  and  hunting  was  familiar 
to  all ;  and  the  amusement  most  fashionable  and 
universal  throughout  New  England  was  trial  of 
skill  with  the  musket." 

At  eleven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  battle, 
the  New  Hampshire  troops  received  orders  to 
reinforce  Col.  Prescott,  at  Charlestown.  "About 
fifteen  charges  of  loose  powder  and  balls  were 
distributed  to  each  man,  and  they  were  directed 
to  form  them  into  cartridges  immediately.  Few 
of  the  men,  however,  possessed  cartridge  boxes, 
but  employed  powder  horns,  and  scarcely  two 
of  their  guns  agreeing  in  calibre,  they  were 
obliged  to  alter  the  balls  accordingly."  (2.) 

As  soon  as  the  British  troops  landed  at  Charles- 
town,  the  New  Hampshire  regiments  were  or- 
dered to  join  the  other  forces  on  Breed's  Hill. — 
A  part  were  detached  to  throw  up  a  work  on 


(i  >  J 

(2.)  1 


Bunker  Hill  Battle,  20. 

Major  Swell's  Bunker  Hill  Battle,  40. 


176  HISTORY    OF 


Bunker  Hill,  and  the  residue,  under  Stark  and 
Reed,  joined  the  Connecticut  forces,  under  Gen. 
Putnam,  and  the  regiment  of  Col.  Prescott,  at 
the  Rail  fence.  This  was  the  very  point  of  the 
British  attack,  the  key  of  the  American  position. 
Here  Captain  Walker's  company  was  formed, 
awaiting  the  attack.  To  be  stationed  there,  in 
the  post  of  danger,  was  a  high  honor,  and  well 
did  the  New  Hampshire  troops  merit  it,  although 
not  a  few  paid  for  the  distinction  with  their  lives. 

As  soon  as  the  British  moved  forward  to  the 
attack,  our  troops  under  Stark,  engaged  in  forti- 
fying Bunker  Hill  under  the  direction  of  Putnam, 
joined  their  brethren.  The  battle  commenced. — 
The  Americans,  forbidden  to  fire  upon  the  enemy 
until  "  they  could  see  the  whites  of  their  eyes," 
swept  them  down  by  companies.  Again  and 
again  were  the  British  driven  back,  and  not  until 
their  scanty  supply  of  ammunition  was  exhaust- 
ed, and  the  British  assaulted  the  works  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  did  the  Americans  -retire 
from  their  position.  Even  then  they  retreated 
like  the  lion,  disputing  every  step  with  stones 
and  clubbed  muskets,  and  lay  upon  their  arms 
during  the  night  at  Winter  Hill,  directly  in  the 
face  of  the  enemy. 

The  number  of  Americans  engaged  in  the 
battle  was  fluctuating,  but  may  be  fairly  estimated 
at  little  more  than  two  thousand  men.  Their 
loss  was  115  killed,  305  wounded,  and  30  cap- 
tured ;  in  all  450.  The  New  Hampshire  regi- 
ments lost  19  men  killed,  and  74  wounded,  a 
large  proportion  of  those  engaged.  The  British 
loss  was  1054,  including  89  officers.  One  regi- 
ment, the  Welsh  Fusiliers,  lost  every  officer 
except  one.  (1.) 

(1.)  2  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  145.  Mrs.  Adams's  Letters.  Original 
papers  in  office  of  Secretary  of  State. 


B  -^ 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  177 

None  of  Capt.  Walker's  company  were  killed  ; 
two  only  were  wounded  —  Joseph  Greeley  and 
Paul  Clogstone.  The  latter  died  soon  after. — 
William  Lund,  of  this  town,  however,  who  was 
in  another  company,  was  killed  in  the  battle. — 
The  original  return  of  Capt.  Walker,  including 
articles  lost  by  the  company,  in  the  battle  and 
in  the  retreat,  is  now  on  file  in  the  office  of  the 
Secretary  of  State.  It  is  as  follows:  "6  great 
coats,  31  shirts,  24  pair  of  hose,  18  haversacks, 
1  pistol,  1  fife,  2  guns,  1  cartridge  box,  5  strait 
body  coats,  2  jackets,  10  pair  of  trowsers,  6  pair 
of  leather  breeches,  2  pair  of  shoes,  12  blankets." 
The  unusual  heat  of  the  day  compelled  them 
to  lay  aside  their  knapsacks,  which  were  lost  in 
the  excitement  and  hurry  of  the  retreat. 

The  bond  of  allegiance  to  Great  Britian  was 
severed  by  this  battle,  never  to  be  again  united. 
The  people  of  New  England  expected  a  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  and  awaited  it  impatiently, 
long  before  the  4th  of  July,  1776.  In  February, 
1776,  we  find  the  officers  of  this  town  warning 
the  annual  meeting,  not  as  heretofore,  "in  his 
Majesty's  name,"  but,  "  in  the  name  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire" 

At  this  meeting  the  "spirit  of  '76"  was 
strongly  manifested.  "  Sam'l  Roby,  Noah  Lovc- 
Avell,  William  Walker,  Joseph  Eayrs,  Joseph 
French,  Jr.,  Capt.  Benjamin  French  and  Thomas 
Butterfield,  were  chosen  delegates  to  the  County 
Congress." 

"  Jona.  Lovewell,  Robert  Fletcher,  Joseph 
Eayrs,  Capt.  Benjamin  French,  Noah  Lovewell, 
Samuel  Roby,  Joseph  Whiting  and  Thomas  But- 
terfield, were  chosen  a  committee  of  safty." 

"  Samuel  Roby,  Benjamin  Smith,  Thomas 
Butterfield,  John  Searls,  David  Alld,  James 
Blanchard,  William  Walker,  John  Wright  and 


: '         '  '  9B 

178  HISTORY    OF 

Henry  Adams,  were  chosen  a  committee  of  in- 
spection to  see  that  no  British  Goods  were  sold 
in  town." 

In  November,  1776,  in  consequence  of  the  great 
depreciation  of  paper  money,  the  exorbitant 
prices  asked  by  the  speculators  who  had  fore- 
stalled the  markets,  and  the  consequent  discour- 
agement to  the  exertions  of  those  wht>  were  la- 
boring to  sustain  the  heavy  public  burdens,  a 
meeting  was  holden  at  Dracut,  to  petition  Con- 
gress, and  the  State  Legislature,  upon  the  subject; 
and  to  devise  such  other  measures  as  might  be 
necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  people.  A 
large  number  of  delegates  were  present,  and 
Dunstable  was  represented  by  Capt.  Benjamin 
French,  Capt.  Noah  Lovewell  and  Joseph  Eayrs. 
The  Convention  met  November  26,  1776,  at  the 
house  of  Major  Joseph  Varnum,  and  prepared  a 
Petition  to  the  Legislature,  praying  that  the  re- 
solves of  the  Continental  Congress  of  1775,  re- 
specting prices,  &c.,  might  be  enforced  more 
strictly.  (1.) 

Early  in  1776,  New  Hampshire  raised  three 
regiments  of  2,000  men,  which  were  placed  under 
the  command  of  Colonels  Stark,  Reed  and  Hale. 
They  were  sent  to  New  York  to  join  the  army 
under  Gen.  Sullivan  for  the  invasion  of  Canada. 
They  proceeded  up  the  Hudson,  and  down  the 
lakes  to  Canada,  but  were  obliged  to  retreat  to 
Ticonderoga.  A  part  of  Capt.  Walker's  com- 
pany enlisted  in  these  regiments.  They  suffered 
severely,  and  lost  one  third  of  their  number  by 
sickness  and  exposure.  (2.)  Of  those  who  were 
in  the  army  at  this  time,  in  the  company  com- 
manded by  Capt.  William  Reed,  and  said  to  be- 
long to  Dunstable,  we  find  the  following  names  : 

(1.)  27V.  H.Hist.  Coll.  ,50. 
(2.)  1  Belknap,  370. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


179 


Joel  Lund,  ensign,  Silas  Adams,  James  Blanch- 
ard,  Peter  Honey,  John  Wright,  jr.,  Jonathan 
Bulterfield,  John  Lovewell,  Oliver  Wright,  Ne- 
hemiah  Wright,  Daniel  Wood,  Timothy  Blood, 
Asa  Lovejoy,  Daniel  Blood,  Jonathan  Wright, 

The  following  persons  were  in  the  company 
of  Capt.  Daniel  Wilkins,  in  Col.  Timothy  Be- 
dell's regiment,  which  was  stationed  on  our 
northern  frontier;  Philip  Abbot  Roby,  Ebenezer 
Fosgett  [or  Fosdick,]  Joseph  Farrar,  James  Har- 
wood,  and  Reuben  Killicut. 

In  July,  1776,  Capt.  William  Barron  raised  a 
company  for  Canada,  in  which  there  were  the 
following  Dunstable  men:  —  John  Lund,  1st 
Lieut.,  Richard  Whiting,  2d  Sergt.,  Abijah  Reed, 
3d  Sergt.,  John  Fletcher,  2d  Corporal,  Ephraim 
French,  Benjamin  Bailey,  Charles  Butterfield, 
William  Butterfield,  Abraham  Hale,  John  Comb, 
Thomas  Blanchard,  Thomas  Killicut,  Israel  In- 
galls,  Medad  Combs,  Levi  Lund,  Thomas  Har- 
ris, Peter  Henry,  James  Jewell,  William  Stewart. 

In  consequence  of  the  loss  sustained  by  the 
New  Hampshire  regiments,  Jonathan  Blanch- 
ard, Esq.,  of  this  town,  was  sent  by  the  Legisla- 
ture to  Tieonderoga  in  October,  1776,  to  recruit 
the  army.  In  December,  1776,  Capt.  Walker, 
of  this  town,  raised  a  company  from  Dunstable 
and  vicinity.  It  was  attached  to  a  regiment  com- 
manded by  Col.  Oilman,  of  which  Noah  Love- 
well,  of  this  town,  was  Quarter-Master,  and  or- 
dered to  New  York.  Among  those  who  enlisted 
we  find  Phineas  Whitney,  Silas  Swallow,  Joseph 
Dix  and  Jacob  Adams. 

In  1777,  also,  three  regiments,  consisting  of 
2,000  men,  were  raised  in  this  State,  for  three 
years,  and  placed  under  the  command  of  Colonels 
Cilley,  Hall  and  Scammel ;  Stark  &nd  Poor  hav- 
ing been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-Gen- 


16 


180 


HISTORY    OF 


eral.  The  same  quota  of  troops  was  furnished 
by  New  Hampshire  during  the  war,  besides  vol- 
untary enlistments  in  other  regiments,  which 
were  very  numerous.  In  every  levy  of  2,000 
men,  the  proportion  to  be  furnished  by  this  town, 
was  about  sixteen.  More  than  twice  this  num- 
ber, however,  must  have  been  constantly  in  the 
army.  (I.) 

In  March,  1777,  the  town  offered  a  bounty  of 
one  hundred  dollars  to  every  soldier  who  would 
enlist,  and  a  large  number  joined  the  army.  Be- 
sides those  already  mentioned,  we  find  the  follow- 
ing :  —  Jonathan  Emerson,  Lieutenant  in  Cilley's 
regiment ;  James  Blarichard,  Quarter-Master  in 
Scammel's  regiment;  John  Butler  and  James 
Harwood  killed  at  Hubberton,  Vt.  July  7,  1777, 
on  the  retreat  from  Ticonderoga,  John  Manning 
taken  prisoner  there,  and  afterwards  re-taken ; 
Simeon  Butterfield,  David  Alld,  Israel  Ingalls, 
John  Lund,  William  Gibbs,  Paul  Woods.  Elipha- 
let  Manning,  John  Manning,  James  Seal,  Isaac 
Adams,  Noah  Downs,  Jeremiah  Keith  who  served 
in  a  Massachusetts  regiment;  Ephraim  Blood, 
William  Mann  and  John  Crocker,  in  the  Artillery 
corps.  Just  before  the  battle  of  Saratoga,  Lt. 
Alld  returned  for  volunteers,  and  a  large  number 
from  this  town  and  vicinity  hastened  to  join  the 
army,  and  arrived  in  season  to  compel  and  wit- 
ness the  surrender  of  Burgoyne.  In  November, 
1777,  the  town  voted  to  raise  "£735  lawful 
money  to  defray  the  extraordinary  expenses  of 
the  present  war." 

(1.)  The  regiment  of  militia  to  which  Dunstable  was  attached, 
was  then  commanded  by  Col.  Moses  Nichols,  of  Amherst.  Item- 
braced  the  following  towns,  containing  the  number  of  males  between 
the  ages  of  sixteen  and  fifty,  in  each  respectively  :  —  Amherst  321  ; 
Nottingham  West  [Hudson]  122;  Litchfi«ld  57;  Dunstable  128; 
Merrimac  129  ;  Hollis  234  ;  Wilton  128  ;  ft«dg«  20  ;  Mason  113.— 
This  was  the  basis  for  all  drafts  of  soldiers  for  the  army.  In  May, 
1 777,  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  men  were  drafted  from  the  regiment, 
or  one  in  every  eight. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


181 


By  the  Constitution  of  1776,  no  provision  was 
made  for  a  Governor,  or  any  chief  Executive 
Officer  of  the  State.  The  Legislature  was  itself 
the  Executive,  and  upon  every  adjournment, 
therefore,  it  became  necessary  to  give  to  some 
body  the  power  of  acting  in  case  of  emergency 
during  the  recess.  This  power  was  voted  in  a 
COMMITTEE  OF  SAFETY,  varying  in  number  from 
six  to  sixteen,  composed  of  the  wisest,  best,  and 
most  active  *nen  in  the  different  sections  of  the 
State,  and  those  who  had  shown  themselves  the 
truest  friends  of  their  country.  Their  duty  was 
like  that  of  the  Roman  Dictators  —  "  ne  quid 
Respublica  detrimenti  caperet" — to  take  care 
that  the  Republic  received  no  injury  ;  and  a  cor- 
responding power  to  effect  this  object  was  given 
them.  Of  this  most  responsible  committee,  two 
members  belonged  to  this  town.  Jonathan  Love- 
well  was  a  member  from  June  20,  1777,  to  Janu- 
ary 5,  1779,  and  Jonathan  Blanchard  from  Jan- 
uary 6,  1778.  (1.) 

The  complaints  of  the  people  respecting  the 
high  prices  of  all  the  necessaries  of  life  still  con- 
tinuing, and  the  recommendations  of  Congress 
having  no  effect  upon  many  of  the  extortioners, 
it  was  then  recommended  that  a  Convention 
should  be  holden  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  January 
15,  1778,  to  be  composed  of  Delegates  also  ap- 
pointed by  the  Legislatures  of  the  several  States. 
Its  object  was  "  to  regulate  and  ascertain  the 
price  of  labour,  manufactures,  internal  produce, 
and  commodities  imported  from  foreign  ports, 
military  stores  excepted,  and  also  to  regulate  the 
charges  of  inn-holders,  and  to  make  Report  to 
the  Legislatures  of  their  respective  States." — 
Jonathan  Blanchard,  of  this  town,  and  Col.  Na- 

(1.)  ZN.H.Hist.  Coll,  39. 


182 


HISTORY    OF 


thaniel   Peabody,  were  appointed  delegates  from 
New  Hampshire,  and  acted  accordingly. 

After  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  which 
was  the  abolition  of  all  existing  government,  it 
became  necessary  to  form  some  plan  of  Govern- 
ment, both  for  the  State  and  the  Union.  The 
people  in  their  primary  assemblies  had  com- 
menced and  carried  on  the  Revolution,  and  they 
entered  with  the  same  zeal  into  the  discussion 
of  their  political  rights  and  duties,  and  the  best 
mode  of  preserving  and  perpetuating  them. — 
February  9,  1778,  in  town  meeting,  "the  arti- 
cles of  Confederation  formed  by  the  Honorable 
Continental  Congress  having  been  taken  into 
consideration  were  consented  to  unanimously." 

April  17,  1778,  Capt.  Benjamin  French,  and 
Dea.  William  Hunt  were  chosen  delegates  to 
the  Convention,  which  was  to  be  holden  June 
10,  1778,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Constitu- 
tion for  the  State.  We  may  see  with  what 
jealousy  the  people  watched  their  servants,  and 
regarded  the  powers  of  Government,  from  the 
fact  that  they  appointed  a  committee  of  eleven, 
viz.:  Cyrus  Baldwin,  Joseph  Whiting,  Robert 
Fletcher,  Esq.,  Jonathan  Lovewell,  Esq.,  Capt. 
Daniel  Warner,  Joseph  Eayrs,  Capt.  Benjamin 
Smith,  Lieut.  David  Alld,  Col.  Noah  Lovewell, 
Lieut.  Joseph  French,  and  Lieut.  Jacob  Taylor 
"  to  assist  said  members  during  the  Convention's 
session."  So  early  was  the  right  of  instruction 
claimed,  practised,  and  acknowledged.  A  Bill 
of  Rights  and  a  Constitution  was  drafted  ac- 
cordingly, and  an  able  Address  to  the  People 
issued,  signed  by  John  Langdon,  President  of 
the  Convention.  But  the  people  would  not  sanc- 
tion either.  Their  experience  of  royal  usurpa- 
tion, and  the  fear  of  giving  too  much  power  to 
their  rulers  prevailed,  and  both  were  negatived 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  183 

by  a  great  majority.  This  town  "  voted  unani- 
mously to  reject  them." 

In  August,  fourteen  men  went  from  this  town 
to  Rhode  Island,  as  volunteers,  with  Col.  Noah 
Love  xvell.  The  town  voted  to  pay  them  a  bounty 
of  about  thirty-five  dollars  each.  -Of  this  num- 
ber were  James  Jewell,  Eleazer  Fisk,  Isaac  Foot, 
and  others.  During  this  year  a  very  large  num- 
ber of  soldiers  from  this  town  were  in  the  army 
in  New  York  and  at  the  South. 

In  December,  1778,  Col.  Noah  Lovewell  was 
chosen  "  Representative  for  one  year,"  being 
the  first  representative  elected  by  the  town  under 
the  Constitution. 

How  many  soldiers  were  furnished  to  the  army 
from  this  town  during  that  long  and  bloody 
struggle,  it  is  impossible  now  to  ascertain  with 
correctness,  but  the  number  continued  to  be  very 
large  during  the  war.  It  is  estimated  that  New 
Hampshire  sent  to  the  army  at  various  times, 
14,000  men,  a  number  nearly  equal  to  the  whole 
able-bodied  population  of  the  State  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  wars,  and  of  whom  4,000  died 
in  the  service. 

The  whole  male  population  of  this  town  in 
May,  1775,  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  fifty 
years,  was  only  128,  and  nearly  every  inhabitant, 
either  as  a  volunteer  upon  an  alarm,  or  as  a 
drafted  man,  was  at  some  period  in  the  service. 
They  were  in  almost  every  fight  from  Bunker 
Hill  to  Yorktown,  and  their  bones  are  moulder- 
ing upon  many  a  battle  field  from  Massachusetts 
to  Virginia.  When  the  news  of  "the  Concord 
Fight"  flew  hither  on  the  wings  of  the  wind, 
our  "  minute  men "  saddled  their  horses  and 
hastened  to  the  scene  of  conflict,  and,  although 
they  did  not  reach  there  in  season  to  share  in  its 
dangers,  they  formed  a  portion  of  that  fiery  mass 

"  "       *16 


184  HISTORY    OF 


of  undisciplined  valor  which  "  hung  upon  the 
steps  of  the  retreating  foe  like  lightning  on  the 
edge  of  the  cloud."  They  were  at  Bunker  Hill 
in  the  post  of  danger  and  honor,  and  shared 
largely  in  the  glory  of  that  day.  They  were 
at  Ticonderoga,  where,  borne  down  by  sickness, 
by  pestilence,  and  by  want,  they  were  compelled 
to  retreat,  fighting  step  by  step,  in  the  face  of  a 
victorious  enemy.  They  were  at  Bennington, 
under  Stark,  where  the  first  gleam  of  light  broke 
in  upon  the  darkness  which  was  lowering  over 
our  prospects,  cheering  every  heart  to  new  efforts, 
and  at  Stillwater  and  Saratoga,  where  this  first 
omen  of  victory  was  converted  into  a  triumph 
most  glorious  and  enduring. 

They  wintered  at  Valley  Forge  with  Wash- 
ington, where,  "  without  shoes  or  stockings,  their 
pathway  might  be  tracked  by  their  blood."  — 
They  were  at  Trenton  and  Princeton,  where, 
under  the  very  eye  of  Washington,  they  surprised 
and  captured  the  Hessians,  and  gave  new  hope 
and  courage  to  the  disheartened  nation.  They 
fought  at  Germantowri  and  Monmouth,  and  at  the 
[  memorable  conflicts  on  Long  Island.  At  Mon- 
mouth, the  New  Hampshire  regiment,  under 
Cilley  and  Dearborn,  was  "  the  most  distinguish- 
ed, and  to  their  heroic  courage  the  salvation  of 
the  army  was  owing."  General  Washington  ac- 
knowledged the  service,  and  sent  to  enquire  what 
regiment  it  was.  "  Full  blooded  Yankees,  by 
G-d,  sir,"  was  the  blunt  reply  of  Dearborn.  — 
And  at  Yorktown,  when  the  whole  British  army 
capitulated,  they  were  there  with  Scammel,  a 
glorious  and  fitting  finale  to  the  great  Revolu- 
tionary drama,  whose  opening  scene  was  at 
Lexington. 

Of  those  who,  during  this  long  period,  when 
the  fears  of  even  the  stout-hearted  prevailed  over 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


their  hopes,  and  darkness  seemed  resting  upon 
their  freedom,  rallied  around  the  standard  of 
their  country,  and  perilled  "  their  lives,  their 
fortunes,  and  their  sacred  honour  "  in  its  defence, 
few  —  very  few  —  now  survive,  the  shadows  only 
of  their  manhood.  It  is  no  easy  task  even  to 
collect  their  names,  and  they  ought  not  to  be  for- 
gotten. They  were  in  humble  station,  and  fa- 
miliarity may  have  reduced  them  in  the  eyes  of 
the  present  age ;  yet  their  service  was  no  holiday 
sport,  and  to  them,  their  exertions,  and  their 
sufferings,  do  we  all  owe  the  birth-right  of  our 
liberty.  From  the  records  of  the  town,  and 
musty  papers  on  file;  from  Legislative  Journals; 
from  company  and  regimental  returns  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  Secretary  of  State  ;  from  vouchers  and 
loose  memoranda  accidentally  preserved, —  and 
from  personal  enquiry  of  the  survivors  and  de- 
scendants of  the  actors,  we  have  gathered  with 
no  little  care  and  labor,  a  portion  of  their  names. 
Some  of  them  sound  strangely  in  our  cars,  but 
most  of  them  are  known  positively  to  have  been 
in  the  service,  and  are  called  of  this  town.  (1.) 

(I)  For  the  list  of  soldiers  in  ihcsrmy  from  DunstahJc  [Nat-huaj 
see  Appendix. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


HISTORY  TO  THE  ORIGIN  OF  NASHUA  VILLAGE. 

WE  can  form  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  sacrifices 
which  were  made  for  Independence.  Beside 
perilling  life  in  battle  and  submitting  to  priva- 
tions of  every  description,  so  large  a  proportion 
of  the  able-bodied  population  were  in  the  army, 
that  the  fields  were  often  left  untilled.  Yet  they 
gave  both  time  and  treasure  to  their  country, 
without  measure  and  without  a  murmur.  "  Our 
efforts  are  great,"  Mr.  Adams  said  in  1780,  "  and 
we  give  this  campaign  more  than  half  our  prop- 
erty to  defend  the  other.  He  who  stays  at  home 
cannot  earn  enough  to  pay  him  who  takes  the 
field."  (1.)  The  amount  annually  expended  by 
the  town,  during  the  war,  was  several  thousand 
dollars; — a  heavy  burden  upon  a  population, 
numbering  in  1775,  only  705.  Yet  this  small 
number  had  diminished,  in  1783,  to  578,  shewing 
a  decrease  of  127,  or  18  per  cent;  a  fact  which 
proves  better  than  pages  of  description,  the 
amount  of  the  exertions  which  were  put  forth, 
and  the  sacrifices  which  were  made,  and  the 
consequent  paralysis  of  the  energies  and  pros- 
perity of  the  community. 

In  1781,  another  Convention  was  holden  at 
Concord,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  State  Con- 
stitution ;  and  Jonathan  Lovewell,  Esq.,  was 

(1.)  Mrs.  Adams's  Letters,  152. 


,„ . ••        •  •- 

JJJ , —       -  '  •  --  —    •'  ......  — — — 

NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  187 

chosen  a  delegate.  But  the  same  jealousy 
continued  to  exist  as  heretofore,  and  the  new 
Constitution,  which  was  our  present  one  with 
slight  modifications,  was  rejected  by  the  town 
"  unanimously."  In  December,  1782,  Jonathan 
Blanchard,  Esq..  was  chosen  Representative,  and 
it  was  again  voted  "  not  to  receive  the  Bill  of 
Rights  and  Plan  of  Government "  as  adopted, 
and  the  town  chose  Capt.  Benjamin  French,  Jo- 
seph Whiting,  Jonathan  Lovewell,  Esq.,  and  Col. 
Noah  Lovewell,  a  committee  to  state  the  reasons 
of  rejection. 

March,  1784,  Capt.  Benjamin  French  was 
chosen  Representative. 

March  6,  1786,  Col.  Noah  Lovewell  was  cho- 
sen Representative,  and  the  town  voted,  that 
"  the  Selectmen  with  Jona.  Blanchard,  Esqr., 
Jonathan  Lovewell,  Esqr.,  Mr.  Joseph  Whiting 
and  Deacon  William  Hunt  be  a  committee  to  give 
instructions  to  the  Representatives"  In  1787, 
the  same  proceedings  were  renewed. 

January  10,  1788,  Dea.  William  Hunt  was 
chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Convention,  which  met  at 
Exeter  in  February  of  the  same  year,  to  consider 
of,  and  adopt,  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  which  had  recently  been  formed  and  sent 
out  for  the  approval  of  the  people.  Throughout 
the  country,  as  well  as  in  the  Convention,  which 
formed  it,  there  was  a  great  diversity  of  opinion 
respecting  it,  and  much  opposition.  It  contained 
no  bill  of  rights  as  it  now  does  ;  as  its  opposers 
thought  no  limitation  of  powers.  The  States 
had  long  been  sovereign  and  independent  democ- 
racies, and  hesitated  to  give  up  any  of  their 
rights.  The  confederation  had  been  inefficient 
from  the  want  of  central  authority. 

Thus,  while  some  believed  that  the  Constitu- 
tion vested  too  much  power  in  the  General  Gov- 

»—  —  — - =* 


188  HISTORY   OF 


eminent,  which  would  eventually  swallow  up 
the  several  States,  others  feared  that  it  possessed 
too  little  power  to  protect  itself  from  the  en- 
croachments of  the  States  ;  and  would  soon  share 
the  fate  of  the  old  confederacy.  There  was 
danger  on  both  sides  :  on  the  one  side  anarchy  — 
on  the  other  usurpation.  It  was  an  untried  ex- 
periment, and  every  little  community  was  di- 
vided. It  was  discussed  in  town  meeting,  and 
the  town  voted  "  not  to  accept  said  Constitution," 
and  chose  a  committee  of  nine  to  give  their  dele- 
gates instruction  to  oppose  its  adoption  by  the 
Convention.  This  committee  reported  a  list  of 
objections,  which  were  adopted  by  the  town,  and 
forwarded  to  the  Convention.  The  Constitution. 
however,  was  adopted.  It  was  a  medium  and  a 
compromise,  between  the  doubts  of  conflicting 
parties,  and  the  fears  of  both  have  happily  proved 
vain. 

July  16,  1788,  died  Hon.  Jonathan  Blanchard, 
aged  50  years.  He  was  the  son  of  Col.  Joseph 
Blanchard,  and  was  born  September  18,  1738.  — 
He  had  not  the  advantage  of  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, but  was  early  initiated,  by  his  father,  into 
the  active  business  of  life.  After  the  death  of 
his  father,  which  occurred  in  his  20th  year,  he 
was  called  upon  to  till  his  place  as  proprietors' 
clerk  and  surveyor,  and  was  soon  deeply  engaged 
in  the  management  of  town  affairs,  and  other 
public  business. 

When  the  events  which  preceded  the  revolu- 
tion occurred,  the  people  of  New  Hampshire  were 
among  the  first  to  resist  the  usurpations  of  the 
crown.  When  in  1685,  Cranfield  forbade  the 
ministers  to  preach,  unless  they  would  administer 
the  communion  to  all  who  requested  it,  in  the 
Episcopal  form,  they  refused  obedience,  denounc- 
ed him  from  the  pulpit,  and  went  to  prison  rather 


m 

NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,  &C.  189 

than  yield.  When  the  Governor  at  a  later  day, 
levied  a  tax  upon  the  lands  of  the  people,  for  his 
private  advantage,  the  women  resisted  the  col- 
lection, and  drove  his  officers  from  their  houses 
with  water  scalding  hot.  The  "broad  R"  cut 
by  some  "  prowling  official,"  upon  their  choicest 
trees,  thus  devoting  them  to  the  Royal  Navy, 
without  redress  or  compensation,  was  a  continued 
eye-sore. 

Early  in  1775,  the  legislature  of  New   Hamp- 
shire, first  of  all  the  States,  and  evidently  antici- 
pating Independence,  sent  a  request  to  the  Con- 
tinental  Congress,  which   met   at   Philadelphia, 
May  10,  1775,  to  advise  them  as  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  an  Independent  Government.     Agreeably 
to  their  recommendation,  given  with  much  hesi- 
tation, (1.)  a   Convention   met  at   Exeter,   and 
adopted  a  Constitution,  bearing  date  January  5, 
1776.     It  was  the  earliest  adopted  by  any  colony, 
and  was  violently  opposed  by  the  more  timid,  as 
a   virtual  Declaration  of  Independence.  (2.)     It 
provided,  as   has   before  been   mentioned,  for  a 
House  of  Delegates,  and  a  Council  of  twelve,  to 
be  elected   annually  by  the   people,  and   which 
were  similar  to  our  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives.    No  provision   was  made  for  a  Gov- 
ernor, and  the  whole  Executive,  as  well  as  Leg- 
islative, authority  was  placed  in  these  two  bodies. 
Of  this  Council,  Jonathan  Blanchard  was  chosen 
a  member  in  1776,  and  continued  such  for  three 
years.     No  better  testimony  to  his  worth   could 
be  given   than   the  bestowal  of  such  an  office  at 
such  a  period. 

In  October,  1776,  Gen.  Blanchard  was  sent  by 
the  Legislature  to  recruit  our  regiments,  which 
had  been  wasted  by  sickness,  suffering,  and  de- 

(1.)  Mrs.  Adams's  Letters,  85.    2  Gordon's  History,  150. 
(2.)  1  Belknap. 


190 


HISTORY  OF 


feat  at  Ticonderoga.  In  1777,  he  was  appointed 
Attorney  General  of  the  State,  in  conjunction 
with  Col.  Nathaniel  Peabody,  and  is  said  "  to 
have  discharged  his  duties  in  a  manner  satisfac- 
tory to  the  Government,  and  advantageous  to  the 
people."  (1.)  January  6,  1778,  he  was  appoint- 
ed a  member  of  the  "  Committee  of  Safety  "  for 
the  State,  an  office  of  unlimited  responsibility  and 
power,  and  which  he  held  for  a  long  period.  (2.) 

He  was  a  delegate  from  this  State,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Col.  Peabody,  to  the  Convention,  which 
met  at  New  Haven,  January  1778,  "to  regulate 
prices,"  enforce  the  recommendations  of  Con- 
gress, and  relieve  the  distress  of  the  people  ;  and 
he  prepared  a  report  to  our  Legislature  accord- 
ingly. (3.)  In  1784,  soon  after  the  adoption  of 
our  State  Constitution,  Gen.  Blanchard  was  ap- 
pointed Judge  of  Probate  for  the  County  of  Hills- 
borough,  an  office  which  he  held  nearly  or  quite 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

In  1787,  during  the  confederation  of  the  States, 
he  was  elected  a  delegate  from  this  State  to  the 
Continental  Congress.  They  were  chosen  annu- 
ally, and  whether  he  was  again  elected  and  died 
in  office  is  uncertain.  (4.)  Soon  after  the  death 
of  his  father  he  was  appointed  agent,  by  the 
Masonian  Proprietors,  to  manage  and  dispose  of 
all  the  unsettled  lands  within  the  State  of  New 
Hampshire.  The  territory  of  this  State  had  been 
granted  originally,  to  Robert  Mason,  but  after 
many  years,  finding  that  it  yielded  very  little 
income  and  caused  him  much  trouble,  he  disposed 
of  the  land,  as  far  as  it  remained  in  his  possession, 
to  a  company  of  individuals  who  were  called 
the  Masonian  Proprietors.  As  their  agent,  Gen. 

1.)  3  Farmer's  and  Moore's  Hist.  Coll. .5. 
2.)  2  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll.,  39. 
3.)  3  Farmer's  and  Moore's  Hist.  Coll.,  5. 
4.)  1  Belknap,<il6. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C.  191 

Blanchard  conveyed  most  of  the  lands  within 
the  State,  and  this  circumstance  caused  that  many 
of  the  original  proprietors  of  a  very  large  number 
of  towns  resided  here,  and  from  this  town  were 
drawn  many  of  their  first  settlers. 

Gen.  Blanchard  died  in  this  town  and  is  buried 
in  the  Old  South  burying  ground.  He  married 
Rebecca  Farwel!,  who  died  August  20,  IB4J,  and 
left  five  children,  one  only  of  whom  is  now  living. 

In  1790,  the  population  of  the  town  was  632. 

In  1792.  died  Jonathan  Lovewell,  Esq.,  aged 
79.  He  was  a  brother  of  Capt.  Lovewell,  "The 
Indian  Fighter,"  and  of  Col.  Zaccheus  Lovewell, 
and  was  born  in  this  town,  May  14,  1713.  Early 
in  life  he  took  an  active  part  in  town  affairs,  and 
became  one  of  the  proprietors  of  "common 
lands  "  in  the  township  of  Dunstable.  For  many 
years  he  was  proprietor's  clerk,  and  a  magistrate 
under  the  crown.  About  the  year  1746,  under 
the  preaching  of  Rev.  Mr.  Kirk,  he  became  a 
convert  to  the  doctrine  of  the  "New  Lights,"  as 
the  followers  of  Whitefield  were  then  called,  and 
soon  after  became  a  preacher.  This  probably, 
however,  was  of  short  duration,  as  he  never  left 
town,  and  in  1755,  he  was  commissary  of  the 
New  Hampshire  regiment,  sent  out  against  Crown 
Point,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Joseph  Blanch- 
ard. A  gun  taken  from  the  French  during  that 
campaign,  and  brought  home  by  him,  is  still  in 
the  possession  of  the  family. 

In  the  earliest  stages  of  the  Revolution,  Mr. 
Lovewell  was  an  ardent  and  efficient  friend  of 
liberty.  In  April,  1774.  he  was  chosen  agent 
of  the  town  to  petition  the  General  Court  for 
leave  to  send  a  Representative,  a  privilege  which 
they  had  not  hitherto  enjoyed.  In  September, 
1776,  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  represent  the 
town  in  the  Convention  holden  at  Exeter,  for  the 

._ :         „ SE 

-      -  : "  .    _ — • — «fl 


192  HISTORY    OP 


purpose  of  sending  a  delegate  to  the  First  Conti- 
nental Congress,  to  be  holden  soon  after  at  Phila- 
delphia. These  were  the  first  steps  towards  In- 
dependence. 

January  9,  1775,  Mr.  Lovewell  was  chosen 
a  member  of  the  "Committee  of  Inspection ': 
for  the  town,  to  see  that  none  of  the  inhabitants 
purchased  or  used  British  Goods.  February, 
1776,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  "  Commit- 
tee of  Safety"  for  the  town,  a  situation  of  no 
little  trust,  and  continued  a  member  of  almost 
every  such  Revolutionary  committee  during  the 
war.  These  committees  were  of  the  highest 
utility  in  diffusing  information,  and  in  exciting 
and  concentrating  the  efforts  of  the  patriotic,  and 
demanded  men  of  great  energy  and  decision. — 
June  20,  1777,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
"  COMMITTEE  OP  SAFETY  "  for  the  State,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  until  January  5,  1779, 
about  which  period  the  necessity  for  the  exercise 
of  their  functions  in  a  great  measure  ceased. 

April,  1778,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Committee  to  "assist"  the  delegates  from  this 
town  in  the  Convention  for  framing  a  Constitution 
for  the  State.  In  1781,  he  was  chosen  a  member 
of  the  committee  which  formed  our  present  State 
Constitution.  After  its  adoption  he  was  appoint- 
ed a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for 
this  County,  which  office  he  held  for  several 
years.  He  lived  and  died  unmarried. 


r 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


HISTORY  OF  NASHUA   VILLAGE. 

FOR  a  number  of  years  little  occurred  in  the 
history  of  the  town  which  would  be  of  general 
interest.  It  was  slowly  recovering  from  the 
effects  of  the  war,  and  its  exhausting  sacrifices. 
About  1795  the  first  stage  coach  was  put  upon  this 
road,  and  was  an  occasion  of  great  public  inter- 
est. It  was  a  two  horse  covered  vehicle,  owned 
and  driven  by  Mr.  Joseph  Wheat,  and  ran  from 
Amherst  to  Boston  and  back  again  once  a  week. 
It  stopped  at  Billerica  over  night,  making  the 
trip  both  ways  in  about  four  days.  They  had 
not  then  learned  the  advantages  of  changing 
horses,  and  the  same  team  performed  all  the 
journey.  People  came  from  a  distance  of  sever- 
al miles  to  look  at  "  the  stage"  and  gaze  upon  it 
with  the  same  feeling  of  wonder  that  they  now 
do  upon  a  locomotive  engine. 

About  this  time  the  locks  and  canal  around 
Pawtucket  Falls  were  built,  and  boating-  upon  the 
Merrimac  began.  At  this  time  there  were  no 
dwellings  where  our  village  now  stands,  and  but 
one  or  two  at  the  Harbor. 

In  1800  the  population  of  Dunstable  had  in- 
creased to  862.  In  the  spring  of  1803  a  Canal 
Boat  was  built  in  the  village,  by  Robert  Fletcher, 
Esq.  It  was  a  singular  structure,  having  sides 
five  or  six  feet  in  height  all  around  it,  and  doors, 


194  HISTORY    OF 


and  was  looked  upon  as  "a  wonder."  It  was 
the  first  canal  boat  ever  built  in  this  vicinity  for 
the  regular  transportation  of  goods,  and  the  fact 
was  considered  of  as  much  importance  to  the 
infant  village  as  the  opening  of  a  railroad  at  the 
present  day.  It  was  launched  on  the  Fourth  of 
July,  which  was  celebrated  by  a  public  meeting, 
and  an  oration  by  Daniel  Abbot,  Esq.  (1.)  — 
There  was  a  great  gathering  of  the  people,  and 
great  rejoicing.  Already  was  it  a  place  of  some 
trade,  and  the  more  sanguine  saw  in  imagination 
its  trade  and  population  doubled  or  even  trebled. 
The  landing  was  on  the  Merrimac  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Nashua,  and  a  store  was  there  erected.— 
The  boat  was  christened  "  the  Nashua,"  with 
much  parade,  and  the  village  which  had  until 
then  been  called  "  Indian  Head"  received  the 
name  of  NASHUA  VILLAGE.  (2.)  That  may  be 


SI.)  This  oration  was  printed. 
2.)  This  aame  is  found  in  Winthrop's  Journal,  both  in  its  present 
usual  orthography  and  in  other  forms,  as  applied  to  an  early  settle- 
ment on  the  Nashua  river,  now  Lancaster,  Massachusetts. 

In  1648,  "  Others  of  the  same  town  ( VVatertown)  began  also  a 
plantation  atNashaway,  some  15  miles  N.  W.  from  Sudbury." 

In  1614,  "  Many  of  VVatertown  and  other  towns  joined  in  the 
plantation  ol  Nashaway,"  &c.  Winthrop's  Journal,  Vol.  II.,  pages 
152,  161. 

In  a  note  to  the  passage  last  quoted,  the  editor,  Hon.  James  Sav- 
age, says:  —  "  From  our  Col.  Rec.  II.  57,  I  find  'the  petition  of  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Norcross,  Robert  Chide,  Stephen  Day,  John  Fisher  and 
others  for  a  plantation  at  Nashawake  is  granted,  provided  that  there 
shall  not  be  more  land  allotted  to  the  town,  or  particular  men,  (not- 
withstanding their  purchase  of  land  of  the  Indians,)  than  the  Gen- 
eral Court  shall  allow.' " 

In  the  following  entries  by  VVinthrop,  in  1G43,  the  name  appears  to 
have  been  spelt  as  usual  at  present  : 

"  This  year  a  new  way  was  found  out  to  Connecticut,  by  Nashua, 
which  avoided  much  of  the  hilly  way. 

"  The  magistrates,  being  informed  at  a  court  of  assistants  that 
four  or  five  Indians  who  lived  upon  the  spoil  of  their  neighbours, 
had  murdered  some  Indians  of  Nipnctt,  who  were  subject  to  this 
government,  and  robbed  their  wigwam,  sent  twenty  men  to  Nashua, 
to  enquire  the  truth  of  the  matter,'1  &c.  Journal,  Vol.  Tl.  page  325. 

In  the  Appendix  to  the  same  volume, page  394,  the  editor  gives 
the  former  name  of  Lancaster  as  Nashonoay. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C.  195 


i 


considered  the  birth-day  of  Nashua,  and  forms 
an  important  epoch  in  its  history. 

Let  us  endeavor  to  picture  to  ourselves  Nashua 
Village  as  it  appeared  July  4th,  1803.  A  large, 
one  story  dwelling  house  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
Indian  Head  Coffee  House,  (of  which  it  now 
forms  a  part)  and  was  kept  as  a  tavern  by  Timo- 
thy Taylor,  Esq.  A  large,  one  story  store, 
owned  and  conducted  by  Robert  Fletcher,  who 
resided  in  Amherst,  stood  where  Kendrick  & 
Tuttle's  store  now  stands.  Abbot  and  Fox's 
office  was  a  dwelling  house  occupied  by  "uncle  " 
John  Lund,  his  brother  and  sisters.  A  dwelling 
house,  three  stories  in  front  and  two  in  rear,  had 
just  been  erected  by  Mr.  Fletcher,  but  was  then 
unfinished.  It  stood  on  the  Jiorth-east  corner 
of  Main  and  Franklin  streets,  opposite  the  Bap- 
tist meeting  house,  and  here  upon  a  temporary 
platform  the  oration  was  delivered.  The  Amherst 
and  Concord  roads  with  Main  street,  and  a  road 
down  the  northern  bank  of  the  Nashua  to  the 
Boating  house  and  Ferries  were  all  the  highways 
then  existing. 

At  the  Harbor  the  dwelling  house  of  Gen. 
Noah  Lovewell,  now  occupied  by  Hon.  Jesse 
Bowers,  with  two  other  small  houses  on  the  south 
side  of  Salmon  Brook,  were  the  only  buildings. 
As  the  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  lived  west 
and  south  of  this,  the  meeting  house  was  built 
on  the  little  triangle  in  front  of  Silas  Gibson's 
house.  Here  was  the  largest  village  in  town,  a 
tavern,  store,  shops,  and  dwellings,  and  here  resi- 
ded the  physician  and  the  lawyer,  (Mr.  Abbot.) 
But  in  September,  1803,  the  "Old  Tontine,"  the 
long,  low,  building  at  the  head  of  Main  street,  in 
Nashville,  was  built,  and  soon  after  occupied  by 
Mr.  Abbot,  (who  removed  here  Dec.  1,  1803;) 
Dr.  Elias  Maynard,  physician  ;  Dea.  James  Pat- 

^-r~_    •  ...        .'..'....•  - '     -  -     -.    -  — =BI 

*17 


-a 

196  HISTORY    OF 


terson,  bookbinder,  and  a  Mr.  Clements,  saddler. 
There  was  no  dam  across  the  Nashua,  and  its 
waters  flowed  far  down  its  natural  channel  over 
its  rocky  bed.  The  "pilgrims"  who  then  set- 
tled here  must  have  seen  some  light  from  the 
future  breaking  through  the  surrounding  dark- 
ness, for  there  was  not  a  building  between  Salmon 
Brook  and  Nashua  river,  and  a  broad,  unfenced, 
desolate,  white-pine  forest  spread  in  every  direc- 
tion beyond. 

In  1803  a  Post  Office  was  first  established  in 
town,  and  Gen.  Noah  Lovewell  appointed  Post 
Master.  Previously  letters  for  this  town  were  re- 
ceived from  the  Post  Office  at  Tyngsborough.  (I.) 

In  1804  a  farther  impulse  was  given  to  the 
growth  and  business  of  the  village  by  the  com- 
pletion and  opening  of  the  Middlesex  canal. — 
This  opened  a  direct  channel  of  communication 
with  Boston,  and  rendered  the  place,  as  the  head 
of  navigation,  one  of  considerable  trade.  Hith- 
erto the  principal  markets  of  this  region  had  been 
Haverhill  and  Newburyport. 

From  this  period  the  growth  of  the  settlement 
was  gradual,  but  constant.  The  whole  plain, 
upon  which  the  village  stands,  was  covered  with 
its  native  growth  of  pines,  and  was  considered 
generally  of  but  very  little  value.  "  Dunstable 
Plains  "  were  often  the  subject  of  much  merri- 
ment, and  seemed  to  some  the  embodiment  of  the 
idea  qf  poverty  of  soil.  It  is  said  that  some 
wicked  wag,  in  our  Legislature,  once  undertook 
to  disparage  our  soil,  declaring  that  "it  would 
not  support  one  chipping  squirrel  to  the  acre  ;" 
but  this,  as  well  as  the  story  that  "  a  grasshopper 
was  once  seen  perched  upon  the  top  of  a  dry 
mullen  stalk,  with  the  tears  rolling  down  his 
cheeks,  looking  in  vain  to  discover  one  stalk  of 

(1.)  Sec  history  of  the  Post  Office  in  Appendix. 


•sr- 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


197  ^ 


green  grass,"  is  a  grievous  slander,  and  a  device 
of  the  enemy. 

The  soil  of  our  plains  was,  indeed,  naturally 
sandy  and  barren,  and  of  little  value  for  culti- 
vation when  other  and  more  desirable  locations 
for  tillage  were  scattered  all  around.  From  this 
circumstance,  we  may  believe  the  statement  to 
be  quite  credible,  that  the  rise  of  Main  street  from 
the  Bridge  over  Nashua  river,  to  the  present 
place  of  Messrs.  Kendrick  &  Tuttle's  store  in 
Nashville,  was  "  the  worst  hill  between  Arnherst 
and  Boston."  We  must  remember,  however, 
hat  a  great  change  has  taken  place  in  its  appear- 
ance and  situation.  The  present  bridge  is  raised 
some  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet  above  the  old 
one,  the  water  under  the  present  bridge  being  not 
the  natural  stream,  but  a  pond  occasioned  by  the 
dam  at  Indian  Head,  and  many  feet  in  depth. — 
While  the  bridge  has  been  raised  many  feet  and 
the  road  filled  in  accordingly,  the  slope  of  the  hill 
on  either  side  of  the  river  has  been  cut  down, 
and  graded,  so  that  the  ascent  now,  in  either 
direction,  is  comparatively  slight. 

In  1812,  the  old  meeting  house,  which  stood 
in  the  little  square  in  front  of  the  Gibson  tavern, 
and  which  had  been  standing  there  more  than 
sixty  years,  had  become  too  old  and  dilapidated 
to  answer  the  purposes  of  its  erection.  A  new 
and  more  costly  house  was  built  accordingly, 
nearly  half  a  mile''  northerly  of  the  old  one. — 
This  is  the  one  now  called  "  the  Old  South," 
and  was  dedicated  November  4,  1812,  upon  which 
occasion  the  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Hum- 
phrey Moore,  of  Milford.  (1.) 

November  3,  1813,  Rev.  Ebenezer  P.  Sperry 
was  ordained,  as  the  colleague  of  Rev.  Mr.  Kid- 
der.  He  remained  in  Dunstable  until  April, 

(1.)  This  sermon  was  printed. 


198 


HISTORY  OF 


1819,  when  he  was  dismissed,  and  has  been  Chap- 
lain of  the  House  of  Correction,  at  South  Boston. 
During  his  ministry,  September  6,  1818,  Rev. 
Mr.  Kidder  died,  aged  77,  on  which  occasion  a 
discourse  was  delivered  by  Rev.  H.  Moore.  (1.) 

About  1817,  a  dam  was  thrown  across  Nashua 
river,  a  few  rods  above  Main  street :  a  Grist-mill 
erected  at  one  end  of  it  by  Dea.  James  Patter- 
son, and  a  saw-mill  at  the  other  by  Willard 
Marshall.  Some  time  after,  another  darn  was 
built  near  the  spot,  where  the  present  dam  of  the 
Jackson  Company  stands,  and  a  mill  erected. - — 
At  this  time  the  village  had  increased  so  much 
that  it  contained  about  a  dozen  or  twenty  houses, 
and  being  a  central  thoroughfare  had  become  a 
place  of  considerable  business.  The  population 
of  the  town  was  1,142. 

In  1820,  when  the  census  was  taken,  there 
were  returned  from  Dunstable  :  1  meeting  house: 
9  school  districts  and  school  houses;  6  taverns: 
5  stores;  3  saw  mills:  3  grist  mills;  1  clothing 
mill;  1  carding  machine;  2  bark  mills;  3  tan- 
neries. 

Soon  after  1820,  public  attention  began  to  be 
turned  towards  manufactures.  Many  years  pre- 
viously Judge  Tyng,  of  Tyngsborough.  in  a 
conversation  with  George  Sullivan,  predicted  that 
the  valley  of  the  Merrimac  would  be  a  great 
manufacturing  region,  and  he  pointed  out  the 
locations  at  Lowell,  at  Nashua,  and  at  Amos- 
keag.  (2.) 

It  was  considered  a  visionary  idea,  but  what 
was  then  prophecy  is  now  history.  The  erection 
of  mills  at  Lowell  awakened  the  minds  of  enter- 

(1.)  This  discourse  was  also  published,  and  appended  to  it  is  a 
short  sketch  of  the  Ecclesiastical  history  of  the  town,  drawn  by  up 
Rev.  Mr.  Sperry. 

(2.)  My  authority  for  tins  statement,  is  his  grand-daughter,  Mrs. 
Rrtnley. 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,  *&C.  199 

prising  men  and  of  capitalists,  to  the  manufac- 
turing advantages  of  other  places.  The  leading 
citizens  of  the  town  seem  to  have  been  pecu- 
liarly far-sighted,  public  spirited,  and  energetic, 
and  the  manufacturing  capacities  of  Nashua 
river  did  not  escape  their  notice. 

The  idea,  which  first  suggested  itself,  was  that 
of  building  mills  at  Mine  Falls  ;  the  water  power 
was  great,  and  a  saw  mill  had  been  erected  there 
at  a  very  early  period,  probably  before  1700.  It 
was  not,  however,  for  some  time  that  the  idea 
occurred  to  them  of  erecting  the  mills  upon  their 
present  location,  and  building  up  a  village  here, 
by  bringing  the  water  from  Mine  Falls  by  means 
of  a  canal.  It  was  a  great  undertaking,  and  of 
doubtful  result,  but  a  survey  was  made,  and  its 
practicability  ascertained. 

The  few  individuals,  who  had  conceived  the 
idea,  formed  an  association,  and  in  1822  and 
1823,  purchased  the  greater  portion  of  the  lands 
in  and  around  the  village,  and  up  to  the  Falls. — 
In  June,  1823,  a  charter  was  granted  to  Daniel 
Abbot,  Moses  Tyler,  Joseph  Greeley,  and  others, 
by  the  name  of  the  "  Nashua  Manufacturing 
Company,"  with  a  right  to  increase  their  capital 
to  one  million  dollars.  The  capital  stock  was  at 
first  fixed  by  them  at  $300,000  ;  and  was  divided 
into  three  hundred  shares,  of  $1,000  each.  Of 
these  Daniel  Webster  took  CO  shares  ;  Daniel  Ab- 
bot 30  shares;  J.,  E.  &  A.  Greeley  30  shares ; 
Augustus  Peabody  75  shares  ;  Benj.  F.  French 
30  shares  :  Foster  &  Kendrick  30  shares  ;  John 
Kendrick  15  shares ;  Moses  Tyler  30  shares. 

In  1824,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  stock 
was  disposed  of  to  capitalists,  and  the  works 
were  commenced.  The  dam  at  Mine  Falls  was 
built,  and  the  excavation  of  the  canal  began 
under  the  superintendence  of  Col.  James  F.  Bald- 


200  HISTORY    OF 


win.  This  canal,  which  supplies  the  water  for 
the  factories  of  the  Nashua  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, is  about  three  miles  in  length.  60  feet  wide, 
and  6  feet  deep,  and  affords  a  head  and  fall  of 
about  33  feet.  Ira  Gay,  Esq.,  was  also  engaged 
as  machinist,  and  Col.  William  Boardman  as 
wheel-wright  and  engineer ;  and  the  first  Factory 
was  commenced.  December  25,  1824,  the  Ma- 
chine Shop  was  completed  and  went  into  opera- 
tion. The  works  advanced.  Mill  No.  1,  of  the 
Nashua  Corporation  was  erected  and  went  into 
partial  operation  in  December,  1825,  and  into 
full  operation  in  1826. 

In  December,  1824,  a  charter  was  obtained  by 
the  Nashua  Manufacturing  Company  for  the  pur- 
pose of  building  "  a  canal  with  the  necessary 
dams  and  locks  "  to  connect  the  Nashua  with  the 
Merrimac.  They  were  built  in  1825,  and  opened 
for  the  transportation  of  goods  in  the  spring  of 
1826.  The  lower  dam  across  the  Nashua  was 
built  at  this  time.  The  Locks  are  of  solid  stone, 
24  feet  high;  each  lift  being  ten  feet  wide  and 
eighty-two  long.  They  were  built  under  the  su- 
perintendence of  Col.  Baldwin,  and  cost  $20,000. 
The  canal  dam  cost  a  further  sum  of  $10,000. — 
This  canal  was  of  very  great  advantage  to  the 
rising  village,  which  was  now  becoming  the  cen- 
tre of  business  for  the  neighboring  towns,  by  af- 
fording such  increased  facilities  for  the  transpor- 
tation of  goods  and  produce,  and  its  beneficial 
effects  were  soon  sensibly  felt  in  the  increase  of 
trade  and  enterprise. 

In  May  1825,  a  portion  of  the  lower  water  priv- 
ilege, now  occupied  by  the  Jackson  Company, 
was  sold  by  the  Nashua  Manufacturing  Compa- 
ny to  Charles  C.  Haven  and  others,  who  were 
incorporated  by  the  name  of  the  "  Indian  Head 
Company,"  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  Woollen 

i      .  .  .  --.« 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  201 

Factories.  Their  works  were  commenced  imme- 
diately, and  went  into  operation  in  1826,  under 
the  agency  of  Mr.  Haven. 

In  1825,  the  meeting  house,  now  occupied  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Richards's  Society,  was  erected  by  the 
Nashua  Company  ;  and  November  8th.  1826,  Rev. 
Handel  G.  Nott  was  settled  over  the  church  and 
society,  which  had  been  destitute  since  the  dis- 
mission of  Mr.  Sperry,  a  period  of  eighteen  years. 
In  1834  the  society  was  divided,  in  consequence 
of  a  change  in  the  sentiments  of  their  pastor,  and 
the  church,  in  its  organized  capacity,  under  the 
name  of  the  "First  Congregational  Church  in 
Nashua,"  left  the  meeting  house  in  possession  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Nott's  society,  and  worshipped  for  a 
time  in  Greeley's  Hall.  They  invited  Rev.  Jon- 
athan McGee  to  become  their  pastor,  and  his  in- 
stallation took  place  January  1,  1835.  During 
the  same  year  a  spacious  meeting  house  was 
erected  at  an  expense  of  more  than  $10,000.  — 
June  8th.  1842,  Mr.  McGee  was  dismissed  and 
Rev.  Matthew  Hale  Smith  was  installed  October 
19th.  of  the  same  year.  Mr.  Smith  was  dismiss- 
ed August  20th.  1845,  and  Rev.  Samuel  Lamson, 
the  present  pastor,  was  installed  April  8th.  1846. 
This  church  consists  of  450  members,  and  has 
connected  with  it  a  Sabbath  school,  which  usual- 
ly numbers  more  than  300  scholars.  There  is  a 
library  for  the  use  of  the  school.  There  are  two 
benevolent  societies  sustained  by  the  ladies,  a 
Maternal  Society  and  a  Young  Men's  Missionary 
Association.  Contributions  are  annually  taken 
up  in  aid  of  the  following  objects  :  the  Foreign 
and  Home  Missionary,  the  Education,  I>ibie, 
Tract  and  Seaman's  Friend  Societies,  with  other 
occasional  objects  of  benevolence. 
A  portion  of  the  church,  embracing  142  members. 
remained  with  Mr.  Nott's  society,  and  formed  a 


r* 


202 


HISTORY    OF 


new  church,  which  was  organized  Oct.  26,  1835, 
under  the  name  of  the  "  First  Congregational 
Church  in  Nashua  Village."  Feb.9. 1846,  thename 
of  this  church  was  changed  to  "  Olive  Street  Con- 
gregational Church."  Shortly  after  the  change 
in  Mr.  Nott's  views,  he  withdrew  from  his  con- 
nection with  the  church  and  society,  and  Rev. 
Austin  Richards,  the  present  pastor,  was  install- 
ed April  6th.  1836.  The  number  of  church  mem- 
bers at  the  present  time,  (1846,)  is  506.  The 
Sabbath  school  contains  500  scholars,  and  has  a 
library  of  409  volumes.  With  the  exception  of 
the  Ladies'  Charity  Circle  and  the  Seaman's 
Friend  Society,  there  are  no  regularly  organized 
benevolent  societies  distinct  from  the  church,  but 
contributions  are  taken  up  during  each  year  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Foreign  and  Home  Missionary, 
the  Tract,  Bible,  Education,  Sabbath  School,  Sea- 
man's Friend,  and  Foreign  Evangelical  Societies. 

In  the  Fall  of  1824  and  spring  of  1825,  fifty 
new  tenements  or  more  had  been  erected,  and  all 
was  bustle  and  prosperity.  In  1825  a  new  bridge 
was  built  over  the  Nashua  river  in  Main  street, 
in  consequence  of  the  raising  of  the  water  by  the 
dam  at  Indian  Head.  Lots  of  land  were  selling 
at  the  rate  of  "  about  $1,000  per  acre,"  according 
to  the  report  of  the  Directors  for  that  year. 

In  1826  a  charter  was  granted  to  several  indi- 
viduals, by  the  name  of  the  "  Proprietors  of  Tay- 
lor's Falls  Bridge,"  for  the  purpose  of  building  a 
bridge  across  the  Merrimac.  At  this  time  the 
people  crossed  by  a  ferry,  there  being  no  bridge 
across  the  river  between  Lowell  and  Amoskeag. 
This  bridge  was  completed  and  opened  for  public 
travel  the  same  year.  It  is  thirty-three  rods  in 
length,  and  its  total  cost  was  about  $12,000.  It 
was  no  small  undertaking  in  the  then  feeble  state 
of  the  village,  and  was  deemed  by  many  persons 


ar  -          —  —  •  —  -,-^r 

NASHUA,   NASHVILLlij   4tC.  203 


a  hazardous  investment,  but  the  prosperity  of  the 
place  required  it.  and  success  has  rewarded  the 
effort. 

la  the  winter  and  spring  of  1827,  the  Unita- 
rian church  was  erected.  The  society  enjoyed 
preaching  in  1824  ;  and  from  1825  to  1826,  hired 
and  occupied  the  meeting  house  built  by  the 
Nashua  Company.  June  27,  1827,  the  church 
was  dedicated,  and  Rev.  Nathaniel  Gage  ordain- 
ed. In  1834  Mr.  Gage  asked  a  dismission  ;  and 
in  1835,  Rev.  Henry  Emmons  was  ordained 
as  pastor.  In  1837  Mr.  Emmons  also  asked  a 
dismission,  and  May  16,  1838,  Rev.  Samuel  Os- 
good  was  ordained  ;  In  December  1841,  Mr.  Os- 
good  requested  a  dismission,  having  received  an 
invitation  to  settle  at  Providence,  R.  I.  From 
this  time  the  society  was  without  a  settled  min- 
ister until  October  25,  1843,  when  Rev.  A.  C.  L. 
Arnold  was  ordained.  He  was  dismissed  August 
25,  1844.  Rev.  S.  G.  Bulfinch,  the  present  pas- 
tor, was  installed  September  17,  1845.  The 
Sabbath  School  consists  of  112  pupils.  There 
is  a  S.  S.  Library  containing  about  400  volumes, 
and  a  Church  Library  of  180  volumes.  A  Be- 
nevolent Circle  is  sustained  by  the  ladies  of  the 
society. 

March  19,  1835,  the  proprietors  appropriated 
the  grounds  around  the  meeting  house  to  the 
purpose  of  a  burial  place,  under  the  name  of  the 
Nashua  Cemetery.  Of  this  an  account  will  be 
given  in  the  Appendix. 

In  1827,  Mill  No.  2,  of  the  Nashua  Corporation 
was  built  and  went  into  partial  operation,  and 
into  full  operation  in  1828.  Mill  No.  3,  was  built 
in  1836.  Mill  No.  1,  is  155  feet  long,  45  feet 
wide,  and  5  stories  high.  It  contains  6,784  spin- 
dles, and  220  looms,  manufacturing  No.  14  shirt- 
ings and  drills.  Mill  No.  2,  is  155  feet  long,  45 


204  HISTORY  OF 


feet  wide,  and  6  stories  high.  It  contains  12,- 
170  spindles,  and  315  looms,  which  manufacture 
No.  24  printing  cloths  and  jeans.  Mill  No.  3, 
is  160  feet  long,  50  feet  wide,  and  5  stories  high. 
It  contains  6,400  spindles,  and  205  looms,  and 
manufactures  No.  14  sheetings.  Mill  No.  4,  was 
built  in  1844,  and  was  put  into  operation  in  De- 
cember of  the  same  year.  It  is  198  feet  long,  50 
feet  wide,  and  5  stories  high,  and  contains  6,720 
spindles,  and  200  looms,  manufacturing  No.  12 
sheetings.  The  whole  number  of  spindles  in  the 
four  mills  is  32,074,  looms  940.  Number  of  fe- 
male operatives  835.  Number  of  males  225. — 
These  mills  manufacture  11,500,000  yds.  of  cloth 
per  annum  ;  and  use  8,000  bales  of  cotton,  weigh- 
ing 3,250,000  Ibs.,  150,000  Ibs.  starch,  8,000  gal- 
lons sperm  oil,  $1250  worth  leather,  700  cords 
of  hard  and  pine  wood,  annually.  There  are  48 
tenements  for  overseers  and  boarding  houses,  and 
two  brick  houses  for  the  agent  and  clerk.  Thom- 
as W.  Gillis,  Esq.,  is  the  agent;  J.  A.  Baldwin, 
clerk.  The  capital  is  $800,000  ;  the  number  of 
shares  1600,  at  $500  each. 

The  Savings  Bank  deposites  in  1845  were 
$44,000,  by  364  depositers,  three  fourths  of  whom 
are  females.  No  interest  is  allowed  on  any  sum 
exceeding  $500,  and  the  privileges  of  the  Bank 
are  limited  to  individuals  in  the  employ  of  the 
company.  The  rate  of  interest  is  5  per  cent. — 
On  the  first  of  June  of  every  year  interest  is 
credited  on  all  amounts  and  added  to  the  princi- 
pal, and  interest  computed  on  the  total  sum  from 
that  date,—  thus  giving  to  those  who  permit  their 
savings  to  remain  in  the  hands  of  the  company 
for  any  length  of  time,  the  advantage  of  com- 
pound interest.  The  following  table,  arranged 
October  13,  1845,  shows  the  number  of  females 
employed  in  the  N.  M.  Co.'s  Mills  and  the  pro- 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C. 


205 


portion  thereof  who  attend  meeting,  are  members 
of  the  Sabbath  School,  and  are  professors  of  re- 
ligion : 


Whole 

No.  who 

Attend 

Memb's 

no.  if  iris 

attend 

Sab. 

of 

enipl'd. 

meeting 

School. 

church's 

No.  1  Mill, 

214 

194 

116 

67 

No.  2  Mill, 

216 

206 

131 

82 

No.  3  Mill, 

192 

167 

88 

52 

No.  4  Mill, 

170 

151 

73 

43 

Cloth  Room, 

8 

8 

3 

6 

Total, 

800 

726  |  411 

250 

About  1828,  the  Indian  Head  Company  became 
embarrassed,  and  soon  after  the  works  stopped. 
The  whole  property  was  then  disposed  of  to  a 
new  company,  which  was  incorporated  in  1830 
by  the  name  of  the  Jackson  Company.  They 
took  oiit  the  old  machinery,  and  converted  the 
establishment  into  a  cotton  manufactory.  The 
capital  stock  of  this  company  is  $-180.000.  They 
have  two  Mills,  150  and  155  feet  in  length,  by 
48  feet  in  width,  and  4  stories  high.  These 
contain  11,588  spindles  and  378  looms,  and  em- 
ploy 90  males  and  350  females.  The  amount 
paid  males  per  annum,  is  $30,000, —  to  females, 
$60,000.  They  use  5,000  bales  of  cotton  a  year, 
averaging  400  pounds  each,  from  which  they 
manufacture  five  and  a  half  million  yards  of  cloth 
of  the  following  kinds  :  46  and  37  inch  sheetings, 
and  30  inch  shirtings,  all  of  No.  14  yarn.  The 
value  of  wood  per  annum  is  $2,500;  oil  $3,700; 
starch  $2,500;  leather  $1,000.  The  amount  of 
deposites  in  the  Savings  Bank  is  $18,000,  on 
which  5  per  cent,  compound  interest  is  allowed. 
The  depositing  is  confined  to  operatives,  and  no 
interest  is  allowed  on  any  sum  over  $500.  The 
number  of  depositers  is  150.  The  agent  of  the 


206  HISTORY    OF 


company  is  Edmund  Parker,  Esq.;  George  F. 
Beck,  clerk. 

In  February,  1827,  the  first  newspaper  was 
established  in  town  by  Andrew  E.  Thayer,  Esq., 
and  called  the  "Nashua  Constellation."  After 
a  short  lime  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Israel 
Hunt,  Jr.,  Esq.,  and  its  name  changed  to  "  The 
Nashua  Gazette"  Its  present  editor  is  William 
Butterfield. 

In  1830,  the  population  of  Dunstable  had  in- 
creased to  2,417  of  which  number  about  1,500 
resided  within  the  village. 

In  the  winter  of  1831,  a  new  paper  called  the 
" Nashua  Herald"  was  started  by  Dr.  Simeon 
J.  Bard,  but  it  did  not  prosper,  and  was  soon 
given  up.  In  September,  1832,  the  "  New  Hamp- 
shire Telegraph"  a  weekly  paper,  was  establish- 
ed by  Alfred  Beard,  and  is  now  conducted  by 
Albin  Beard.  "  The  Oasis"  was  established  in 
January,  1843,  by  Murray  &  Sawtell,  and  is  now 
published  every  Wednesday  morning,  by  Murray 
&  Kimball, 

In  the  fall  of  1832,  the  First  Baptist  Society 
was  organized,  and  obtained  its  present  pastor, 
Rev.  Dura  D.  Pratt.  It  was  formed  as  early  as 
1818,  and  a  church  organized  in  1822  ;  but  they 
were  few  and  feeble,  and  preaching  was  main- 
tained but  a  small  portion  of  the  time.  A  large 
and  commodious  meeting  house  was  now  erected, 
at  a  cost  of  nearly  $8,000 ;  and  January  23,  1833, 
it  was  dedicated,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Pratt  ordained. 
The  church  now  comprises  over  500  members. 
The  Sabbath  School  consists  of  350  members, 
and  has  a  library  of  300  volumes. 

The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  was 
organized  November  3, 1832.  A  meeting  house 
was  erected  in  1833,  and  enlarged,  and  a  parson- 
age attached  in  1837.  Their  ministers  have  been 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,   &C. 


207 


as  follows:— Rev.  A.  P.  Brigham,  1834 ;  Rev. 
Wm.  D.  Cass.  1835;  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Hatch,  1836; 
Rev.  Jared  Perkins,  1838;  Rev.  Samuel  Kelley, 
1840:  Rev.  J.  W.  Mowry,  Rev.  L.  D.  Barrows, 
Rev.  J.  Smith.  Rev.  Mr.  Pike  is  the  present 
pastor. 

April  1,  1844,  after  the  separation  of  Nashville, 
a  new  church  was  organized,  under  the  name  of 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Nashua, 
and  during  the  same  year  the  society  purchased 
the  meeting  house  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Second  Baptist  Society,  for  $15,00$  about  half 
the  original  cost.  Rev.  E.  A.  Rice,  of  Lowell, 
Mass.,  supplied  the  pulpit  for  the  first  three 
months.  From  July  1.  1844,  to  July  1,  1845, 
the  church  was  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev. 
C.  C.  Burr.  Rev.  J.  Boyce  is  the  present  pastor. 
This  church  contains  ]  60  members.  There  are 
268  scholars  in  the  Sabbath  School,  and  360  vol- 
umes in  the  library. 

From  1830  to  1837  the  growth  of  the  village 
was  rapid  and  constant.  The  population  of  the 
village  had  nearly  trebled  in  number.  Trade 
and  travel  had  increased  proportionally.  In  the 
spring  of  1835,  the  project  was  conceived  of  ex- 
tending the  Lowell  Railroad  to  Nashua.  June 
23,  1835,  a  charter  for  this  purpose  was  granted, 
by  the  Legislature  of  New  Hampshire;  and  by 
that  of  Massachusetts,  April  16,  1836.  In  1836, 
the  preparatory  surveys  were  made  and  the  loca- 
tion filed.  Uriah  A.  Boyden,  Esq.,  was  engaged 
as  engineer.  In  May,  1837,  the  work  upon  ^he 
road  was  commenced,  and  October  8,  1838,  the 
NASHUA  AND  LOWELL  RAILROAD  was  first  opened 
for  the  transportation  of  passengers  as  far  as  the 
great  elms  near  Judge  Parker's  house,  where  a 
temporary  depot  was  erected.  December  23, 
1838,  the  bridge  over  the  Nashua,  and  the  depot 


208  HISTORY    OF 


near  Main  street,  were  completed,  and  the  cars 
for  the  first  time  came  up  to  the  present  terminus. 
The  length  of  the  road  is  about  fourteen  and  a 
half  miles,  exclusive  of  double  tracks,  and  its 
total  cost  about  $380,000.  or  about  $25,000  per 
mile,  including  fixtures  arid  apparatus. 

June  27,  1835,  the  Concord  Railroad  Company 
was  incorporated.  This  Railroad  was  commenc- 
ed in  the  spring  of  1841,  under  the  direction  of 
William  S.  Whitwell,  Esq.,  as  engineer,  and  fin- 
ished to  Concord,  September  1,  1842.  Its  length 
is  34  miles,  3048  feet.  The  net  profits  have  been 
10  per  cent,  per  annum  from  its  commencement. 
The  amount  of  capital  is  $800,000.  The  officers 
of  the  Road  are  : 

ADDISON  GILMORE,  of  Boston,  President. 

ISAAC  SPALDING,  of  Nashua,   Treasurer. 

CHARLES  H.  PEASLEE,  of  Concord,  Clerk. 

June  19,  1835,  the  NASHUA  BANK  was  incorpo- 
rated, with  a  capital  of  $100,000 ;  and  went  into 
operation  soon  after. 

In  1835,  the  steamboat  Herald  was  also  built, 
and  placed  upon  the  Merrimac  in  the  summer  of 
1836.  It  was  intended  to  ply  between  Nashua 
and  Lowell,  but  the  shortness  of  the  distance. — 
the  inconvenience  of  the  landing  places,  and  the 
necessity  for  the  shifting  of  passengers  and  bag- 
gage, rendered  the  enterprise  a  failure. 

In  1835,  the  First  Universalist  Society  was 
organized,  under  the  pastoral  charge  of  Rev. 
Woodbury  M.  Fernald.  He  preached  until  1837, 
when  Rev.  A.  P.  Cleverly  became  their  preacher. 
In  1839,  a  large  meeting  house  was  erected,  and 
in  October  of  that  year,  Rev.  Lewis  C.  Browne  was 
ordained  as  their  pastor.  In  consequence  of  ill 
health,  Mr.  Brjnvne  requested  a  dismission  in  Sep- 
tember, IS^^and  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Ryder,  the  pres- 
ent pastor,  was  installed  December  25th.  of  the 

gr— ~-— —--r=^==^= 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


209 


a 


same  year.  The  church  was  organized  in  1841, 
and  contains  104  members.  There  are  two  be- 
nevolent societies  sustained  by  the  ladies  of  the 
society.  The  Sabbath  School  embraces  20  teach- 
ers, and  175  scholars.  The  Sabbath  School  Li- 
brary numbers  600  volumes. 

In  April,  1836,  the  population  had  increased  to 
5065,  of  which  number  2105  were  males,  and 
2960  females. 

During  this  year,  a  Second  Baptist  Society  was 
formed  under  Rev.  N.  W.  Smith,  and  a  meeting 
house  erected.  In  1838,  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Pratt 
was  ordained  as  its  pastor.  In  1839,  the  society 
was  again  united  to  the  First  Baptist  Society. 

January  1,  1837,  the  township  laid  aside  its 
ancient  name  of  DUNSTABLE,  which  it  had  worn 
from  its  infancy,  through  good  and  evil  fortune 
a  hundred  and  sixty  years,  under  which  it  had 
witnessed  two  revolutions  and  formed  a  portion 
of  a  Colony,  a  Province,  and  a  sovereign  State, 
— under  which  it  had  passed  through  many  wars, 
and  grown  up  from  obscurity  and  poverty  ;  and 
adopted  in  order  to  distinguish  it  from  its  neigh- 
bor "  t'other  Dunstable,"  its  present  name,  that 
of  the  river  from  which  its  prosperity  is  chiefly 
derived  —  NASHUA. 

The  First  Free-Will  Baptist  Church  was  or- 
ganized November,  1838,  and  was  under  the  pas- 
toral care  of  Elder  Silas  Curtis,  to  September, 
1839.  He  was  succeeded  by  Elder  Thomas  M. 
Preble,  who  was  dismissed  September,  1841.  In 
December  of  the  same  year,  Elder  Benjamin 
Phelon  was  chosen  pastor.  He  was  dismissed 
December,  1842,  since  which  time  the  church 
has  been  without  a  settled  pastor.  Religious  ser- 
vices have  been  regularly  observed  every  sabbath. 
The  number  of  church  members  is  40.  The 
Sabbath  School  numbers  56  members,  and  has  a 

_  ^ _t __  „__ .^ «fcj 


210  HISTORY    OF 


Library  of  150  volumes.  The  present  house  of 
worship  was  erected  in  1844,  at  an  expense  of 
$600.  Rev.  S.  Stearns  is  the  present  minister. 

In  1840,  the  First  Christian  Society  was  organ- 
ized under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  Mr.  Robin- 
son. They  have  no  meeting  house. 

In  November,  1845,  the  services  of  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church  were,  for  the  first  time, 
regularly  observed  in  Nashua.  The  court-room 
of  the  town  house  has  been  occupied  for  this 
purpose.  Rev.  Milton  Ward  is  the  officiating 
minister. 

In  1845,  a  large  machine  shop,  built  of  brick 
and  slated,  was  erected  by  the  Nashua  Company 
on  the  site  of  the  old  one.  The  main  building  is 
150  feet  long,  with  an  addition  of  158  feet,  used 
for  a  blacksmith's  shop,  furnace,  &c.  The  main 
building  is  occupied  by  shuttle  and  bobbin  makers, 
locksmiths,  gunsmiths,  manufacturers  of  axes, 
hoes,  ploughs,  and  by  artisans  in  other  branches. 
The  whole  number  of  workmen  employed  in  the 
building  is  two  hundred  and  eighteen.  A  portion 
of  this  building  is  occupied  by  the  extensive  es- 
tablishment of  Messrs.  J.  &  E.  Baldwin,  for  the 
manufacture  of  shuttles  and  bobbins,  which  gives 
employment  to  a  number  of  workmen. 

The  manufacturing  business  of  the  Nashua 
Lock  Company  is  also  done  here.  This  eslab- 
lishment,  of  which  L.  VV.  Noyesand  David  Bald- 
win are  the  proprietors,  is  employed  in  the  manu- 
facture of  mortise  locks  and  latches  for  dwelling 
house  doors,  and  rose  wood  and  brass  knobs  for 
the  handles  of  the  same.  They  usually  have  in 
their  employment  about  40  men,  and  manufac- 
tured, during  the  last  year,  $35,000  worth  of 
goods.  These  manufactures  embraced  56,617 
locks  and  latches,  and  35,000  pairs  of  rose  wood 
knobs. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


211 


Another  portion  of  this  shop  is  occupied  by 
Mr.  John  H.  Gage  for  building  turning  engines, 
machines  for  planing  iron,  engines  for  cutting 
gears,  scroll  chucks,  and  all  other  tools  requisite 
to  fill  a  large  machine  shop  for  building  cotton 
and  other  machinery,  and  for  doing  railroad 
work.  Mr.  Gage  now  employs  sixty-four  work- 
men, and  does  business  to  the  amount  of  about 
$40,000  per  annum. 

The  "  Nashua  Manufacturing  and  Mechanics 
Association "  was  chartered  January  2,  1829, 
with  liberty  to  have  a  capital  to  the  extent  of 
$30,000.  This  company  was  organized  under 
the  charter  August,  1845.  The  present  capital 
is  $10,000,  with  200  shares  at  $50  each.  The 
contemplation  is  to  erect  a  brick  building  100  feet 
long,  two  stories  high,  with  two  wings,  each  150 
feet  long  and  40  feet  wide,  one  story,  with  an 
attic.  The  work  in  this  shop  is  to  be  conducted 
by  means  of  a  steam  engine  of  fifty  horse  power, 
and  is  intended  to  embrace  all  kinds  of  mechanical 
work  similar  to  the  Nashua  Company's  shop. — 
One  wing  of  the  building  is  now  completed,  and 
is  occupied  by  Mr.  Edwin  Chase,  for  the  manu- 
facture of  doors,  window  blinds  and  sashes. 

The  officers  of  this  association  are  : 

THOMAS  CHASE,  President, 
THOMAS  CHASE,    "j 
L.   W.  NOYES,      I 
BARTLETT  HOYT,  f  Directors. 
ISRAEL  HUNT,  jr.,  j 
JOHN  H.  GAGE,    J 
JOHN  A.  BALDWIN,  Treasurer. 
FRANCIS  WINCH,  Clerk. 

In  the  summer  of  1845,  the  Iron  Foundry  of 
S.  &  C.  Williams  was  erected.  They  manufac- 
ture, from  pig  iron,  4000  pounds  of  castings  per 


212  HISTORY   OF 


day,  and  consume  in  the  same  time,  1300  pounds 
Lehigh  coal  and  six  feet  of  wood.  Their  ar- 
rangements are  such  that  they  can  melt  nine  or 
ten  tons  of  iron  at  a  melting,  or  eighteen  tons  in 
twelve  hours.  They  now  employ  thirty  men, 
and  have  room  for  twenty  more.  The  amount 
of  their  business  is  not  far  from  $40,000  a  year. 

In  1845,  Mr.  Alanson  Crane  commenced  a 
cotton  manufacturing  establishment  on  Salmon 
Brook  at  the  Harbor.  His  mill  is  30  by  40  feet 
on  the  ground,  two  stories  high,  with  an  attic. 
When  in  full  operation  this  mill  will  contain  500 
spindles,  for  making  cotton  yarn  of  various  num- 
bers and  qualities.  The  yarn,  when  manufac- 
tured, is  worked  up  into  braids  and  cords  of  va- 
rious descriptions ;  also  twine  for  weavers'  har- 
nesses, knitting  cotton,  &c.  The  number  of  op- 
eratives employed  is  20,  4  males  and  16  females. 
About  $30,000  worth  of  goods  are  manufactured 
annually.  A  dye  house  is  connected  with  this 
establishment  for  dyeing  braids,  cords,  yarn,  &c. 
From  a  survey  recently  made  it  is  estimated  that 
there  is  sufficient  water  running  in  Salmon  Brook 
to  operate  1500  spindles,  and  Mr.  Crane  contem- 
plates erecting  another  mill  with  about  1000  spin- 
dles and  looms  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
shirtings,  sheetings,  and  drillings. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  town  of  Nashua, 
March,  1842,  it^was  voted  to  erect  a  Town  House. 
Of  this  structure,  now  completed,  an  account  will 
be  given  in  the  Appendix. 

In  1842,  the  town  of  Nashua  was  divided,  and 
a  part  of  the  territory,  chiefly  lying  north  of  the 
Nashua  river,  received  the  name  of  Nashville.— 
The  following  act  of  incorporation,  passed  by  the 
Legislature,  June  23,  1842,  defines  the  limits  of 
the  new  town : 

"  Be   it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and   House  of 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  213 


Sfc 


Representatives  in  General  Court  convened, — 
That  all  that  part  of  the  town  of  Nashua,  in 
the  County  of  Hillsborough,  lying  westerly  and 
northerly  of  a  line  commencing  npon  the  Nashua 
river  at  the  east  side  of  Hollis,  and  running 
thence  down  said  river,  to  the  bridge  erected  over 
said  river  by  the  Nashua  and  Lowell  Railroad 
Company  ;  thence  from  the  southwest  corner  of 
said  bridge,  eastwardly  by  said  railroad  to  the 
Old  Ferry  road  so  called,  thence  by  said  last 
mentioned  road  to  the  Merrimack  river,  be  and 
the  same  is  severed  from  the  town  of  Nashua, 
and  made  a  body  politic  and  corporate,  by  the 
name  of  Nashville." 

The  town  was  organized  July  11,  1842. 

What  a  contrast  our  villages  now  present  to 
their  condition  but  twenty-sir  years  ago  !  Then 
there  was  one  small  religious  society,  without  a 
minister :  now  there  are  ten.  most  of  them  in  a 
flourishing  condition,  and  enjoying  the  services 
of  settled  clergymen.  Then  there  was  one  meet- 
ing house  :  now  there  are  seven  others,  built  at 
an  expense  of  more  than  $45,000.  It  is  a  singu- 
lar fact  that  for  more  than  100  years  not  a  settled 
minister  died  in  town.  Then  the  receipts  of  the 
Post  office  were  about  $250  yearly  and  now  they 
exceed  $2,500.  Then  a  single  stage  coach  pass- 
ed three  times  a  week  through  the  village.  Now 
there  are  six  daily  lines,  five  tri-weekly  lines,  and 
two  weeklies,  besides  extras  and  the  railroad. — 
Then  two  stores  supplied  the  town  and  neighbor- 
hood. Now  there  are  near  a  hundred,  several  of 
which  are  wholesale  stores,  with  an  aggregate 
trade  of  more  than  half  a  million  dollars.  Then 
a  canal  boat  dragging  its  "  slow  length  along," 
and  occupying  days  in  its  passage,  laid  our  goods 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Nashua  :  now  by  the  magical 
power  of  steam  they  are  brought  to  our  doors  al- 


214         ,  HISTORY    OF 


most  ill  as  many  hours.  The  liltle  village  of  less 
than  fifty  souls  has  increased  one  hundred  and 
fifty  fold.  By  the  wondrous  alchemy  of  skill  and 
enterprise,  out  of  the  waters  of  the  Nashua  and 
the  sands  of  this  pine  barren,  from  some  half  do- 
zen dwellings,  have  been  raised  up  within  these 
twenty-six  years  these  thronged,  and  beautiful 
villages  of  near  seven  thousand  people. 

We  have  now  traced  this  History  through  a 
period  of  nearly  two  centuries.  From  its  wilder- 
ness state,  by  toil  and  privations,  by  bloodshed 
and  sufferings,  by  enterprise  and  capital  combin- 
ed, has  this  place  been  brought  to  its  present  con- 
dition. Its  prosperity  must  now  depend  upon  its 
trade  and  manufactures,  and  for  the  increase  of 
them  every  effort  should  be  made.  Its  central 
position  and  its  facilities  of  transportation  are  ad- 
vantages, which  cannot  be  too  highly  appreciated. 

The  multiplication  of  shops  and  stores,  and  the 
amount  of  their  trade,  are  evidences  of  what  has 
been  accomplished  by  enterprise,  and  offer  strong 
encouragements  for  the  future.  Other  manufac- 
tures besides  cotton  are  creeping  in,  thus  far  with 
great  success,  and  should  be  encouraged.  The 
manufactures  of  shuttles  and  bobbins,  locks,  guns, 
ploughs,  edge  tools,  machinery,  iron,  brass,  and 
tin  ware,  carriages,  saddlery,  sashes,  blinds,  doors, 
hats,  caps,  boots  and  shoes,  reeds,  cigars,  furni- 
ture, time-pieces,  boxes,  stoves,  and  of  patent 
leather,  and  book-binding,  employ  a  large  amonnt 
of  capital  and  furnish  employment  to  a  large 
number  of  persons. 

When  we  consider  the  ease  and  cheapness  of 
communication  with  Boston  and  the  comparative 
lowness  of  the  price  of  land,  of  materials,  and  of 
board  among  us,  it  is  manifest  that  all  kinds  of 
manufactures  may  be  greatly  extended  and  mul- 
tiplied, and  to  much  advantage.  If  all  will  but 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  215 

labor  permanently  for  this  end,  thus,  and  thus 
only,  will  the  means  of  support  be  afforded  to  ad- 
ditional thousands,  a  market  for  all  the  neighbor- 
hood furnished,  and  the  foundation  be  laid,  broad 
and  deep,  and  immovable,  for  the  permanent 
prosperity  of  Nashua  and  Nashville. 


19 


CHAPTER  XV. 


NOTICES  OF  TOWNS  INCLUDED  IN  OLD  DUN- 
STABLE. 


HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF    HUDSON. 

WE  have  seen  that  this  town  was  included  in 
the  original  grant  of  Dunstable,  and  was  set  off 
into  a  separate  township  by  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  Massachusetts  in  1732,  by  the  name  of 
Nottingham.  After  the  establishment  of  the  boun- 
dary line,  by  which  it  fell  within  the  limits  and 
jurisdiction  of  New  Hampshire,  it  received  a  new 
act  of  incorporation,  July  5,  1746,  and  its  name 
was  changed  to  Nottingham  West,  there  being 
already  a  Nottingham  in  the  eastern  section  of 
the  state.  A  small  addition  was  made  to  its  ter- 
ritory, by  annexing  a  part  of  Londonderry,  March 
6,  1778,  and  the  township  now  contains  17,379 
acres.  July  1,  1830,  its  name  was  changed  by 
the  Legislature  to  Hudson. 

Hudson  was  not  settled  until  after  1710,  al- 
though several  tracts  of  land  within  its  bounds 
were  granted  before  1660.  The  names  of  some 
of  the  early  settlers  were  Blodgett,  Colburn, 
Cross,  (taken  captive  at  Dunstable,  in  1724,) 
Cummings,  Greeley,  Hill,  Lovewell,  Marsh, 
Merrill,  Pollard,  and  Winn.  The  first  settle- 
ments were  made  on  the  banks  of  the  Merrimac 
where  the  Indians  had  cleared  fields  for  cultiva- 
ting corn.  The  first  settlers  lived  in  garrisons, 


•  •  ==B 

NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  217 


but  there  is  no  record  that  any  depredations  were 
ever  committed  by  the  Indians  in  this  town. — 
Near  the  Indian  cornfields  have  been  found  cin- 
ders, like  those  of  a  blacksmith's  forge,  which 
have  led  to  the  conjecture  that  they  employed  a 
smith  to  manufacture  their  implements  of  war 
and  agriculture. 

November  30,  1737,  a  Congregational  church 
was  formed,  and  on  the  same  day  Rev.  Nathan- 
iel Merrill  was  ordained  its  pastor.  His  relation 
as  pastor  to  the  church  continued  until  his  death 
in  1796,  although  his  civil  contract  with  the  town 
was  dissolved  in  1774.  Rev.  Jabez  Pond  Fisher 
succeeded  Mr.  Merrill,  and  was  ordained  Feb. 
24,  1796,  but  was  dismissed  in  1801.  July  3, 
1774,  Rev.  John  Strickland  was  ordained,  but  af- 
ter a  few  years  was  dismissed  by  the  town.  In 
1805  a  Baptist  church  was  organized,  over  which 
Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  officiated  from  1814  to  1819. 
In  1816  the  Congregational  church  changed  their 
form  of  government  and  united  with  the  Presby- 
terians. In  1842  a  new  house  of  worship  was 
erected  by  this  society  ;  Rev.  William  Page  is  the 
present  pastor.  In  1840,  a  society  was  formed 
and  a  meeting  house  erected  by  the  Methodists ; 
Rev.  Matthew  Newhall  is  the  officiating  minister. 
In  1841  a  meeting  House  was  erected  by  the 
Baptist  society,  and  Rev.  Joseph  Storer  was  set- 
tled as  pastor. 

Hudson  contains  no  lawyer  and  but  one  phy- 
sician, Dr.  Henry  M.  Hooke.  There  are  ten  dis- 
trict schools,  for  the  support  of  which  in  1845 
$700  were  expended.  Of  this  sum  $430  were 
raised  by  the  town,  $156  given  by  the  inhabi- 
tants in  boarding  teachers,  $84  were  derived  from 
interest  of  the  surplus  revenue,  and  $30  from  the 
Literary  Fund. 

In  April  1776,  before  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 


218  HISTORY    OF 


pendence,  the  following  Test  Oath  was  sent  out 
to  each  town  in  the  state :  ' '  We  the  subscribers 
do  hereby  solemnly  engage  and  promise  that  we 
will  to  the  utmost  of  our  power,  at  the  risque  of 
our  lives  and  fortunes,  with  ARMS  oppose  the  Hos- 
tile Proceedings  of  the  British  Fleets  and  Armies 
against  the  United  American  Colonies."  Every 
person  was  required  to  sign  this  Test,  or  be  look- 
ed upon  as  an  enemy  to  his  country.  These  Test 
Oaths  were  returned  to  the  Convention  then  in 
session,  and  a  large  portion  of  them  still  exist. — 
In  Hudson  119  signed  the  pledge,  and  one  only, 
Capt.  Joseph  Kelley,  refused  to  sign.  (1.) 

In  the  old  French  war  of  1756,  two  soldiers 
from  Hudson,  Amos  Pollard  and  Asa  Worcester, 
were  in  the  army,  in  Canada.  During  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  a  large  number  of  soldiers  from 
Hudson  were  in  the  army.  Jacob  Blodgett,  Ste- 
phen Chase,  Joshua  Severance,  Joseph  Greeley, 
who  was  wounded,  and  Nehemiah  Winn,  were  in 
Capt,  Walker's  Company  at  Bunker  Hill.  In 
1777,  Hudson  contained  124  males  from  sixteen 
to  fifty  years  of  age,  and  was  bound  to  furnish 
fifteen  soldiers  for  every  draft  made  for  the  army. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Representatives 
to  the  General  Court  from  Hudson,  from  1775  to 
1783,  and  since  1793  : 

Capt.  Abraham  Paige,  1775,  1776. 

Asa  Davis,  for  Hudson  and  Litchfield,  1777, 
1779. 

(1778,  1780,  see  Litchfield.) 

William  Burns.  1781,1782. 

Asa  Davis,  1793,  1794,  1800, 1801,  1802, 1803, 
1804,  1805,  1806,  1807,  1808. 

Col.  Joseph  Greeley,  1795,  1796,  1797,  1811, 
1815,  1816. 

(I.)  The  Test   Returns  from  Dunstabie,  Hollis,  Merrimac,  and 
Litchfield  are  not  to  he  found. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  219 

Robert  Patterson,  1809,  1810. 

Isaac  Colburn,  1812. 

Isaac  Merrill,  1813,  1814,  1817. 

Noah  Robinson,  1818,  1820,  1821. 

Thomas  B.  Mason,  1819,  1828,  1830,  1831, 
1833,  1835,  1836. 

Caleb  S.  Ford,  1822,  1823,  1824,  1825,  1826, 
1827. 

Reuben  Greeley,  1829. 

Joseph  Greeley,  1837. 

David  Burns,  1838,  1839. 

Jabez  P.  F.  Cross,  1840,  1841,  1842. 

William  Hadley,  18/13,  1844. 

The  proportionate  amount  which  the  town 
has  paid  of  every  thousand  dollars  of  the  State 
tax,  has  been  as  follows :  1789,  $7.51  ;  1794, 
$6.30;  1804,  $5.31  ;  1808,  $5.04;  1812,  $4.73; 
1816,  $4.22;  1820,  $4.90;  1836,  $4.78;  1840, 
$4.31  ;  1844,  $4.33. 

The  population  of  the  town  at  various  periods 
has  been  as  follows:  1775,649;  1790,  1064; 
1800,  1267;  1810,  1376;  1820,  1227;  1830,  1282: 
1840,  1144. 

In  1820,  Hudson  contained  two  meetinghouses. 
10  school  districts,  10  school  houses,  1  tavern,  3 
stores,  4  saw  mills,  4  grain  mills,  2  clothing  mills, 
and  1  carding  machine. 

The  following  is  the  return  of  the  resources  and 
products  of  Hudson  in  1840,  as  certified  by  the 
Marshal  who  took  the  census  of  the  town  :  135 
horses,  1241  neat  cattle,  1403  sheep,  585  swine. 
There  were  raised  173  bushels  of  wheat,  377 
bushels  of  barley,  6453  bushels  of  oats,  3419 
bushels  of  rye,  1219  bushels  of  buckwheat,  8341 
bushels  of  corn,  18,090  bushels  of  potatoes,  2398 
pounds  of  wool,  2698  tons  of  hay,  and  10  pounds 
of  maple  sugar.  The  annual  value  of  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  dairy  was  $6,987.  There  are  three 

*19  = 


220 


HISTORY    OP 


stores  with  a  capital  of  $2,600.  There  are  also 
two  grist  mills  and  three  saw  mills. 

The  number  of  polls  in  Hudson  in  1839  was 
218  ;  in  1840,  236. 

The  valuation  of  the  town  in  1839  was  $386,- 
277 ;  in  1840,  $380,614. 


HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

THE  greater  part  of  the  township  of  Litchfield 
was  granted,  as  we  have  seen,  as  early  as  1656, 
to  William  Brenton,  and  called  "  Brenton's 
Farm"  Its  Indian  name  was  Naticook,  and  the 
intervale  portions  of  the  town,  as  well  as  of  Mer- 
rimac,  Hudson,  and  Nashua,  were  inhabited  and 
cultivated  by  a  branch  of  the  Penacooks,  called 
sometimes,  the  Naticooks.  It  was  settled  about 
1720,  but  when  and  by  whom  is  unknown.  Of 
the  early  settlers  some  were  from  Billerica,  and 
some  from  Chelmsford,  and  among  them  were 
the  names  of  Underwood,  Chase,  Bixby,  Tufts, 
and  Parker.  It  was  set  off  from  Dunstable,  and 
incorporated  by  Massachusetts  as  a  township, 
extending  on  both  sides  of  Merrimac  river,  July  5, 
1734.  The  charter  was  afterwards  confirmed  by 
New  Hampshire,  June  5,  1749,  the  Merrimac 
being  established  as  its  western  boundary.  It 
contains  8,426  acres. 

In  the  petition  for  incorporation,  signed  by 
Aquila  Underwood  in  behalf  of  the  town,  dated 
May,  1734,  it  is  said  "  that  they  have  supported 
a  minister  for  some  time."  This  was  probably 
Rev.  Joshua  Tafts,  who  was  settled  in  1736,  and 
dismissed  in  1744.  January  2,  1765,  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Cotton,  of  Newton,  was  ordained, —  dismiss- 
ed in  1784,  and  died  at  Claremont  in  1819.  A 
Presbyterian  church  was  formed  1819,  and  Rev. 
Nathaniel  Kenedy  ordained  April  12.  1809.  He 
was  dismissed  April,  1812.  Rev.  Enoch  Pills- 


4 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,    &C. 


221 


bury  was  ordained  October  25,  1815,  and  died 
February  15,  1818,  aged  34.  In  1825,  Rev.  John 
Shirer  was  minister.  Rev.  Mr.  Porter  was  or- 
dained as  pastor  in  1845. 

In  the  French  war  of  1756,  Litchfield  had 
two  soldiers  at  least  in  the  army,  Timothy  Bar- 
ron  and  William  Barron.  During  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  also,  Litchfield  furnished  its  propor- 
tion of  soldiers  for  the  army.  It  contained  57 
males  between  sixteen  and  fifty  years  of  age,  and 
its  annual  proportion  of  soldiers  furnished  was 
seven. 

December  4,  1784,  died  Hon.  Wiseman  Clag- 
gett.  He  was  born  at  Bristol,  England,  in  1721, 
and  his  father  was  a  wealthy  barrister  at  law. — 
He  was  educated  at  the  Inns  of  Court  and  ad- 
mitted a  barrister  of  the  King's  Bench.  In  1748, 
he  went  to  Antigua,  in  the  West  Indies,  to  seek 
his  fortune,  where  he  remained  about  ten  years. 
In  1758,  he  emigrated  to  New  England,  and  es- 
tablished himself  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  In  .1775, 
he  was  appointed  Attorney  General  of  the  Prov- 
ince by  the  royal  commission,  which  he  held 
until  1769,  having  been  superseded  by  Samuel 
Livermore,  on  account  of  his  attachment  to  the 
cause  of  the  people.  In  1772,  he  purchased  a 
farm  at  Litehfield,  and  removed  there  with  his 
family. 

On  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  January 
5, 1776,  Mr.  Claggett  was  appointed  solicitor  gen- 
eral of  the  State,  an  office  which  he  held  until 
his  death.  He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Council  for  1776,  and  appointed  soon  after  a 
member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety.  He  often 
represented  Litchfield  in  the  General  Court,  and 
was  once  chosen  for  Merrimac  and  Bedford,  the 
law  not  requiring  the  representative  to  be  an  in- 
habitant of  the  town  for  which  he  is  elected. — 


222  HISTORY    OF 


He  was  a  classical  scholar,  a  good  lawyer,  a  wit 
and  a  poet.  A  full  and  most  interesting  biogra- 
phy, drawn  up  by  Hon.  Charles  H.  Atherton,  is 
published  in  the  third  volume  of  the  Collections 
of  the  New  Hampshire  Historical  Society. 

Dr.  Jonathan  Parker  was  also  a  resident  of 
Litchfield.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in 
1762,  and  was  a  physician  of  considerable  emi- 
nence. 

Hon.  James  Underwood  was  for  several  years, 
about  1793.  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  for  this  County. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  representatives  to 
the  General  Court  from  Litchfield,  from  1775  to 
1780,  and  since  1793: 

Wiseman  Claggett  and  Lt.  Samuel  Chase, 
April,  1775. 

Capt.  John  Parker,  May,  1775. 

Wiseman  Claggett,  December,  1775  and  1776. 

James  Underwood,  for  Litchfield  and  Hudson, 
1775. 

(See  Hudson  for  1779.) 

Samuel  Chase,  for  Litchfield  and  Hudson, 
1780. 

John  Webster.  1793. 

Robert  Parker,  1794,  1806. 

Jsaac  Huse,  1795,  1807. 

Clifton  Claggett,  1800,  1802. 

Samuel  Chase,  jr.,  1804. 

S.  P.  Kidder,  1805. 

Simeon  Kendall,  1808,  1810. 

Joseph  Moor,  1809. 

Samuel  Moor,  1811,  1813,  1815. 

Thomas  Bixby,  1812,  1814. 

Joseph  Chase,  jr.,  1816,  1817,  1818,  1824, 1825. 

Simon  McQuesten,  1819,  1820. 

Jonathan  Abbot,  1821,  1822,  1823. 

Moses  Chase,  1826,  1827,  1832,  1833. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C. 


Joseph  Richardson,  1828,  1829,  1830,  1831. 

Samuel  Corning,  jr.,  1835,  1836. 

Abel  G.  Quigg,  1837,  1838. 

Joshua  Marsh,  1839,  1840. 

Parker  Bixby,  1841,  1842. 

Moses  Chase,  1843. 

Isaac  McQuesten,  1844,  1845. 

The  proportional  amount  paid  by  Litchfield, 
at  various  periods,  in  every  thousand  dollars  of 
the  State  tax,  has  been  as  follows  :  1789,  $3.02  ; 
1794,  $2.43;  1804,  $2.04;  1808,  $2.14;  1812, 
$1.97;  1816,  $1.86;  1820.  $1.90  ;  1836.  $2.26; 
1840;  $2.27;  1844,  $2.28. 

The  populaton  of  the  town  at  various  periods 
has  been  as  follows :  1775,  284 ;  1790,  357  ;  — 
1800,  372 ;  1810,  382  ;  1820,  465  ;  1830,  505  \  — 
1840,  481. 

In  1820,  Litchfield  contained  1  meeting  house, 
3  school  houses,  1  tavern,  4  saw  mills,  and  2 
grain  mills. 

By  the  census  of  1840,  its  resources  and  prod- 
ucts were  as  follows  :  50  horses,  423  neat  cattle, 
779  sheep,  265  swine,  14  bushels  of  wheat,  18 
bushels  of  barley,  5349  bushels  of  oats,  1342 
bushels  of  rye,  669  bushels  of  buck- wheat,  4072 
bushels  of  corn,  7315  bushels  of  potatoes,  1236 
pounds  of  wool,  664  tons  of  hay.  The  value 
of  the  products  of  the  dairy  was  $1410.00. — 
There  were  2  stores  with  a  capital  invested  of 
$15,000.00. 

The  number  of  polls  in  Litchfield  was  in  1839, 
114  ;  in  1840,  103. 

The  valuation  of  the  town  in  1839,  was  $175,- 
615  ;  in  1840,  $178,920. 

HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF    MERRIMAC. 

ALL  that  part  of  Merrimac  which  lies  south  of 
the  Souhegan  river,  was  included  in  the  Dunsta- 
ble  grant.  Its  Indian  name  was  Naticook.  In 


224  HISTORY    OF 


July,  1729,  the  lands  lying  north  of  the  Souhe- 
gan,  three  miles  in  width,  were  granted  to  Capt. 
Joseph  Blanchard  and  others.  In  1733,  all  these 
grants  lying  north  of  Penichuck  Brook,  and  in- 
cluding a  part  of  Narragansett  No.  5,  or  Amherst, 
(granted  to  the  soldiers  of  Philip's  war)  were  in- 
corporated into  a  township,  at  first  called  Souhe- 
gan  East  ;  then  Rumford,  and  afterwards  Merri- 
mac.  April  2,  1746,  it  was  chartered  anew  by 
the  Legislature  of  New  Hampshire,  and  contains 
19,361  acres. 

Merrimac  was  settled  about  1722,  and  among 
its  earliest  inhabitants  were  the  names  of  Usher, 
Hassell,  and  Chamberlain.  A  daughter  of  Has- 
sell  is  said  have  been  the  first  person  born  in  the 
town.  About  1670,  John  Cromwell  built  a  tra- 
ding house  at  Cromwell's  Falls,  but  was  soon 
driven  away  by  the  Indians.  His  house  was 
standing  in  1679.  The  account  of  Cromwell 
with  the  Indian  history  of  the  town,  is  incorpo- 
rated with  that  of  Dunstable. 

September  5,  1772,  a  Congregational  Church 
was  formed,  and  October  14,  1772,  Rev.  Jacob 
Burnap,  D.  D.,  from  Reading,  Mass.,  who  grad- 
uated at  Harvard  College  in  1770,  was  ordained. 
He  died  December  27,  1821,  having  admitted  to 
the  church  194  members.  He  was  eminently 
distinguished  for  his  superior  knowledge  of  the 
original  languages,  in  which  the  scriptures  were 
written,  and  was  much  esteemed  for  his  piety, 
integrity,  patience,  and  all  the  social  virtues.  — 
His  son,  Rev.  George  W.  Burnap,  is  now  a  dis- 
tinguished clergyman  in  Baltimore,  Md.  Since 
the  death  of  Dr.  Burnap,  there  have  been  various 
ministers.  At  present  Rev.  Mr.  Allen  is  their 
pastor. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Souhegan  is  a  valuable 
water  privilege,  upon  which  a  factory  was  erected 

at-  .  _ 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,   &C.  225 

many  years  ago,  by  Isaac  Riddle  and  Sons.  It 
was  consumed  by  fire  June  10,  1818,  with  a  loss 
of  $6,000.  Another  factory,  called  "the  Souhe- 
gan  Cotton,  Woollen,  and  Nail  Factory,"  was 
afterwards  erected,  and  shared  the  same  fate. — 
There  are  other  privileges  upon  the  river,  and  it 
is  a  matter  of  regret  that  they  should  remain  so 
long  unimproved. 

"  This  town  claims  the  first  discovery  in  this 
region  of  the  art  of  making  what  are  called 
'  Leghorn  Bonnets,'  and  other  grass  Work.  They 
were  first  made  by  the  Misses  Burnap,  before 
1820,  who  are  deserving  of  much  credit  for  their 
skill  and  enterprise  in  this  species  of  manufacture. 
Some  of  their  bonnets  have  been  sold  in  Boston 
as  high  as  $50.00. 

Hon.  Matthew  Thornton,  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  resided  in 
this  town  for  many  years  previous  to  his  death. 
He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  emigrated  to  this 
country  at  an  early  age.  He  first  settled  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State,  from  which  he  removed 
to  Londonderry,  and  afterwards  to  Merrimac  in 
1780.  Before  the  Revolution  he  was  eminent  as 
a  physician.  He  was  also  a  Colonel  in  the  mili- 
tia, and  in  1775  was  President  of  the  Convention 
which  met  at  Exeter,  and  assumed  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  Colony  in  the  name  of  the  People. 
He  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Congress  which 
met  at  Philadelphia  in  1776,  and  as  such  affixed 
his  name  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

He  held  the  office  of  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  for  the  County,  and  afterwards 
was  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State 
until  1782.  Subsequently  he  was  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  and  also  of  the 
Senate,  and  in  1775  was  a  member  of  the  Coun- 


Jj 


226  HISTORY    OP 


oil.     He  died   while  on  a  visit  to  Newburyport, 
Mass.,  June  24,  1803,  aged  88. 

Edward  Goldstone  Lutwyche,  Esq.,  an  English 
gentleman  of  education  and  property,  resided  in 
Merrimac  before  1776,  at  Thornton's,  then  called 
Lutwyche's  Perry.  He  was  Colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment in  1775,  but  on  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence he  joined  the  English,  left  the  country, 
to  which  he  never  returned,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  war  his  estate  was  confiscated  by  the  State. 

Hon.  James  B.  Thornton,  a  grandson  of  Hon. 
Matthew  Thornton,  died  at  Callao,  Peru,  Janua- 
ry 25,  1838.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
Charge  des  Affaires  of  the  United  States,  within 
that  Province.  For  several  years  he  represented 
Merrimac  in  the  Legislature,  and  was  Speaker 
of  the  House  in  1829.  In  1830,  he  was  appoint- 
ed Second  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury  in  the 
United  States.  In  this  situation  he  remained  at 
Washington  until  1836,  when  he  was  sent  abroad 
to  Lima.  He  died,  greatly  lamented,  at  the  early 
age  of  38. 

The  following  information  relative  to  the  his- 
tory of  the  church  in  Merrimac  was  furnished 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Allen  :  "  The  first  church  in  Mer- 
rimac was  gathered  September  5,  1771,  and  at 
that  time  consisted  of  ten  male  and  three  female 
members.  On  the  9th  of  January  following, 
they  voted  to  call  Mr.  Jacob  Burnap,  a  native 
of  Reading,  Mass.,  and  a  graduate  of  Harvard 
College,  to  be  their  pastor.  He  accepted  the  call, 
and  was  ordained  October  14,  of  the  same  year. 
He  continued  in  this  relation  to  them  more  than 
forty-nine  years,  when  he  was  removed  by  death 
in  December,  1821.  Dr.  Burnap  was  a  man  of 
sound  mind  and  mature  scholarship.  He  won 
the  confidence  and  affection  of  his  people  by  his 
amiable  and  pacific  character.  The  whole  town 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   icC.  227 

was  united  in  one  religious  society  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death. 

The  old  meeting  house,  the  first  and  only  one 
ever  built  by  the  town,  still  remains  a  relic  of 
olden  time.  It  was  erected  in  1756,  and  is  un- 
occupied except  as  a  town  house  for  secular  pur- 
poses. The  religious  society  which  formerly 
worshipped  in  it,  built  a  neat  and  commodious 
house  of  worship  in  1837,  which  is  located  on 
the  river  road,  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  northeast 
of  the  old  house.  The  corporate  name  of  this 
society  is  '  The  Merrimac  Religious  Society.' 
Their  first  pastor,  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Burnap, 
was  Rev.  Stephen  Morse,  a  graduate  of  Dart- 
mouth College,  in  1820,  and  a  native  of  Brad- 
ford, Mass."  Rev.  Stephen  T.  Allen,  the  present 
pastor,  succeeded  Mr.  Morse,  and  was  installed 
May  22,  1839. 

There  is  one  other  religious  society  in  Merri- 
mac, which  was  formed  October  21,  1829.  It 
is  composed  of  persons  residing  in  Merrimac, 
Amherst,  Hollis,  Nashville  and  Milford.  The 
name  of  their  church  is  the  "  Union  Evangelical 
Church  in  Merrimac."  Their  house  of  worship 
was  built  in  the  summer  of  1829.  It  is  situated 
on  the  road  from  Nashville  to  Amherst,  within 
the  limits  of  Merrimac,  about  20  rods  from  Am- 
herst line,  and  not  much  farther  from  the  line  of 
Hollis.  Their  pastor  is  Rev.  John  W.  Shepard. 

James  U  Parker  is  the  only  lawyer  in  Merri- 
mac. 

The  physicians  are  Harrison  Eaton,  M.  D., 
and  William  V.  Magoon. 

The  Representatives  to  the  General  Court  from 
Merrimac,  from  1775  to  1783,  and  since  1793, 
haveteen  as  follows  : 

Capt.  John  Chamberlain,  April,  1775. 

Jacob  McGaw,  May,  1775. 


228  HISTORY    OF 


Wiseman  Claggett,  (of  Litchfield)  1777,  1780. 

Capt.  Samuel  Patten,  (of  Bedford,)  for  Merri- 
mac  and  Bedford,  1778,  1781. 

John  Orr,  (of  Bedford,)  for  Merrimac  and  Bed- 
ford, 1779. 

Jacob  McGaw,  1782. 

Timothy  Taylor,  1793,  1794. 

James  Thornton,  1796, 1806,  1808,  1809,  1810, 
1812. 

Simeon  Cummings,  1797. 

Samuel  Foster,  1800,  1801,  1802,  1803,  1804, 
1805. 

Samuel  McConihe,  3d.,  1807. 

Daniel  Ingalls,  1811,  1815,  1816. 

Henry  Fields,  1813,  1814. 

Aaron  Gage,  jr.,  1817,  1818,  1819,  1820, 1821, 
1822,  1823,  1824. 

Henry  T.  Ingalls,  1825,  1826. 

James  B.  Thornton,  1827,  1828,  1829,  1830. 

Joseph  Litchfield,  1831,  1832. 

Samuel  McConihe,  1833,  1834. 

Samuel  Barren,  jr.,  1835,  1836. 

Oliver  Spalding,  jr.,  1837,  1838. 

Francis  Odell,  1839,  1840. 

Robert  McGaw,  1841. 

Leonard  Walker,  1842,  1843. 

James  U.  Parker,  1844,  1845. 

The  proportion  of  every  thousand  dollars  of 
the  State  tax  paid  by  the  town  of  Merrimac  at 
various  periods  has  been  as  follows :  1789,  $5.62 ; 
1794,$5.24;  1804,  $4.74;  1808,  $4.20;  1812, 
$3.83;  1816,  $4.20;  1820,  $4.33;  1836,  $4.29; 
1840,  $4.30  ;  1844,  $4.79. 

The  population  of  the  town  at  various  periods 
has  been  as  follows:  1775,606;  1790,819;  1800, 
926;  1810,  1048;  1820,  1162;  1830,  1191:  4840, 
1113. 

In  1820,  Merrimac  contained  1  meeting  house, 


1 


SI- 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


229 


9  school  districts  and  school  houses,  5  taverns,  5 
stores,  8  saw  mills,  5  grain  mills,  2  clothing  mills, 
2  carding  machines,  2  tanneries. 

The  resources  and  products  of  the  town  as  re- 
turned by  the  census  of  1840,  were  as  follows : 
174  horses,  968  neat  cattle,  844  sheep,  551  swine, 
213  bushels  of  wheat,  147  bushels  of  barley, 
7150  bushels  of  oats,  4772  bushels  of  rye,  908 
bushels  of  buckwheat.  6463  bushels  of  corn,  14,- 
969  bushels  of  potatoes,  1532  pounds  of  wool, 
1480  tons  of  hay.  The  estimated  value  of  the 
products  of  the  dairy  was  $5,784.  There  were 
4  retail  stores,  with  a  capital  invested  of  $12,400. 
There  were  six  grist  mills,  and  6  saw  mills. 

The  number  of  polls  in  1839  was  255  ;  in  1840, 
241.  The  valuation  of  the  town  in  1839  was 
$432,072 ;  in  1840,  $430,574. 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   HOLLIS. 

THE  township  of  Hollis  was  entirely  included 
within  the  Dunstable  grant,  and  continued  to 
form  a  part  of  Dunstable  until  December  28, 
1739,  when  it  was  set  off  as  the  "  West  Parish 
of  Dunstable,"  and  soon  after  was  incorporated 
into  a  separate  township  by  the  name  of  Hollis. 
Its  Indian  name  was  Nisitisset.  It  was  incorpo- 
rated by  the  Legislature  of  New  Hampshire, 
April  3,  1746. 

The  earliest  settlement  in  Hollis  was  made  in 
1730,  by  Capt.  Peter  Powers,  who  was  born  in 
Littleton,  Mass.,  in  1707.  In  1728,  he  married 
Anna  Rogers,  of  Chelmsford,  who  was  born  in 
1708.  He  had  been  a  soldier  in  1725,  under 
Capt.  Lovewell,  and  on  his  return  settled  at 
Dunstable.  Here  he  brought  his  wife  upon  his 
marriage,  and  resided  about  two  years.  In  the 
fall  of  1730,  he  crossed  the  Nashua, —  built  him 


g- 

230  HISTORY   OF 


cabin  in   the    forest,  and  in  January,  1731,  with 

I    his   wife    and   two  small  children,  took  up  his 

i    abode  in  Hollis.     The    remains  of  his    dwelling 

were  visible  in  1830,   "a   little  southwest  of  the 

dwelling  house  of  Thomas  Cummings."  (I.) 

"  In  the  summer  of  1732,  Eleazer  Flagg  came 
into  the  town,  and  located  himself  in  the  south- 
west part  of  it,  on  or  near  the  place  now  (1830) 
owned  or  improved  by  his  descendant,  Capt. 
Reuben  Flagg.  The  house  of  Mr.  Flagg,  was 
subsequently  improved  as  a  guard  house,  and 
was  fortified  against  an  attack  of  the  Indians. 
The  same  season,  March  9, 1732,  Anna  Powers, 
daughter  of  Peter  Powers,  was  born,  and  was 
the  first  English  child  born  in  Hollis.  She  mar- 
ried Benjamin  Hopkins,  Esq.,  of  Milford,  and 
died  at  an  advanced  age.  Thomas  Dinsmore, 
who  was  the  third  family  in  the  settlement,  came 
in  and  located  himself  on  the  place  now  (1830) 
owned  or  occupied  by  Amos  Eastman,  Esq.,  arid 
in  1736,  the  little  Colony  was  augmented  to  the 
number  of  nine  families." 

In  1741,  a  meeting  house  was  erected  upon  the 
spot  now  occupied  by  the  Congregational  meet- 
ing, which  for  a  century  has  been  improved  for 
sacred  purposes.  Rev.  Daniel  Emerson,  who 
was  bora  at  Reading,  Mass.,  May  20,  1716,  and 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  1739,  was  ordained 
as  pastor  20th.  April,  1743.  At  this  time  there 
were  thirty  families  in  town. 

Hollis  never  sustained  any  injury  from  the  In- 
dians, although  at  one  time  considerable  alarm 
was  excited,  since  May  20,  1746,  they  "  Voted  to 
Petition  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  Bay 

(1.)  The  Centennial  Anniversary  was  celebrated  15th  September, 
1830,  and  an  address  delivered  by  a  descendant,  Rev.  Grant  Powers. 
I  am  indebted  to  his-  address  for  many  of  the  above  facts. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,   &C. 


231 


111 


for  some   soldiers  for  a  Guard   for  us,  being 
great  danger  of  the  enemy." 

In  the  old  French  war  of  1775,  Capt.  Peter 
Powers,  of  Hollis,  commanded  a  company  which 
was  made  up  from  Hollis,  Nashua  and  the  vicin- 
ity. The  following  is  the  muster  roll  :  Captain, 
Peter  Powers;  Lieutenant,  Benjamin  Abbot; 
Ensign,  William  Cummings;  Ebenezer  Lyon, 
David  Hubbard,  Samuel  Cummings,  Sergeants: 
James  Colburn,  Clerk  ;  Jonathan  Powers,  Enoch 
Noyes,  Stephen  Hoseltine,  James  Brown,  Corpo- 
rals;  Samuel  Brown,  Drummer;  James  Hill, 
Peter  Wheeler,  John  Martin,  John  Martin,  Jr., 
Jarnes  Wheeler,  Daniel  Wheeler,  John  Goodhue, 
Ebenezer  Ball,  Nathaniel  Blanchard,  Timothy 
Farley,  Samuel  Barrett,  Josiah  French,  Moses 
Emerson,  John  Willoby,  Christopher  Lovejoy, 
Isaac  Sterns,  Jacob  Abbot,  Timothy  Richardson, 
Levi  Powers,  Philip  Ollereck,  Richard  Adams, 
Whitcomb  Powers,  Samuel  Sampson,  Micah  Per- 
kins, Luther  Richardson,  Thomas  Williams,  Da- 
vid Hartshorn,  John  Everden,  Jabez  Davis,  Sam- 
uel Perham,  Jonathan  Fowler,  John  Secomb, 
Samuel  Fisk,  Nathaniel  Townsend,  Stephen 
Powers,  George  Leslie,  Benjamin  Hildreth,  Eph- 
raim  Kellogg,  David  Turner,  Robert  Gordon, 
John  Flagg,  Samuel  Skinner.  Rev.  Daniel  Em- 
erson, was  Chaplain  of  the  regiment.  Dr.  John 
Hall,  Surgeon,  and  Samuel  Hobart,  all  of  Hollis, 
Adjutant. 

In  1760,  Hollis  contained  sixty  taxable  persons. 
In  1767,  it  had  81  unmarried  males  from  sixteen 
to  sixty  years  of  age,  and  117  married  males 
from  sixteen  to  sixty.  August  25,  1775,  it  had 
306  males  under  sixteen  years  of  age  ;  174  males 
from  sixteen  to  fifty  ;  71  over  fifty.  There  were 
60  men  in  the  army,  of  whom  10  died.  The 
whole  number  of  males  capable  of  bearing  arms 
was  223. 

*20 


232  HtSTORY    OF 


A  company  of  70  men  from  Hollis,  was  in  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  under  Capt.  Reuben  Dow. 
John  Cross  was  Lieutenant,  and  John  Camming*, 
Ensign.  This  company,  as  well  as  the  other 
soldiers  from  this  vicinity,  were  under  the  com- 
mand of  Col.  Stark  and  Col.  Prescott,  and  were 
in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  Seven  were  killed, 
viz  :  Nathan  Blood,  Jacob  Boynton,  Isaac  Ho- 
bart.  Phineas  Nevers,  Peter  Poor,  Thomas  Whee- 
ler, and  Ebenezer  Youngman.  Six  more  were 
wounded,  among  whom  was  Capt.  Dow.  ':  Ca- 
leb Eastman  lost  his  life  the  second  day  after  by 
the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun  while  on  par- 
ade." "  In  December,  1775,  Capt.  Noah  Wor- 
cester marched  at  the  head  of  a  company,  about 
thirty  of  whom  were  Hollis  men."  "  July,  1776, 
Capt.  Daniel  Emerson  marched  at  the  head  of  a 
company  to  Ticonderoga;  about  half  of  his  com- 
pany were  Hollis  men.  In  August,  1776,  Capt. 
William  Reed  (of  Litchfield)  marched  with  a 
company  to  New  York,  about  20  of  whom  be- 
longed to  this  town.  In  1777,  Capt.  John  Goss 
marched  to  Beunington  with  a  company,  of  which 
about  thirty  were  from  Hollis."  This  was  the 
quota  of  this  town  during  the  war.  The  town 
had  in  the  army  at  various  times  during  the  war 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  of  whom  thirty 
died  in  the  service. 

Of  the  Royalist  refugees  three  resided  in  Hol- 
lis, viz:  Samuel  Cummings,  Esq.,  Benjamin 
Whiting,  Esq.,  and  Thomas  Cummings.  They 
were  included  in  the  Outlawry  Act,  and  the  es- 
tates of  the  two  first  were  confiscated. 

November  27,  1793,  Rev.  Eli  Smith,  (born  at 
Belcherton,  Mass.,  1759;  graduated  Brown  Uni- 
versity, 1792,)  was  ordained  as  a  colleague  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Emerson.  Mr.  Emerson  died  30th 
September,  1801,  aged  85.  His  wife,  Hannah, 


NASHUA,    NASHVILLE,   &C. 


233 


daughter  of  Rev.  Joseph  Emerson,  of  Maiden, 
died  25th.  February,  1812,  aged  90.  Rev.  David 
Perry  succeeded  Rev.  Mr.  Smith  in  the  ministry 
of  Hollis.  There  are  now  (1846)  two  religious 
societies  in  town,  an  Orthodox  Congregationalist, 
and  a  Baptist  society.  Rev.  James  Aikin  is 
settled  over  the  former,  and  Rev.  Phineas  Rich- 
ardson over  the  latter.  The  meeting  house  now 
occupied  by  the  Congregational  society,  was 
erected  in  1804,  and  the  Baptist  house  in  1837. 

The  physicians  now  residing  in  Hollis.  are 
Wm.  Hale,  Oliver  Scripture,  Noah  Hardy,  John 
L.  Colby,  and  O.  M.  Cooper. 

Benjamin  M.  Farley  is  the  only  lawyer^  in 
town. 

A  large  number  of  natives  of  this  town  have 
enjoyed  a  collegiate  education.  Up  to  1823  they 
were  as  follows  : 

At  Harvard  College. — Rev.  Peter  Powers,  1754  ; 
Rev.  Josiah  Goodhue,  1755  ;  Rev.  Henry  Cum- 
mings,  D.  D..  1760;  Joseph  Emerson,  1774; 
Dr.  Samuel  Emerson,  1785 ;  Josiah  Burge, 
1787;  Rev.  Daniel  Emerson,  1794;  Rev.  Jo- 
seph Emerson,  1798  ;  Benjamin  M.  Farley, 
1804;  Dr.  Benjamin  Burge,  1805  ;  John  Proc- 
tor, 1813;  Rev.  William  P.  Kendrick,  1815; 
George  F.  Farley,  1816 ;  Taylor  G.  Worces- 
ter, 1823. 

Dartmouth  College. — Rev.  Samuel  Worcester, 
D.  D.,  1795;  Rev.  Abel  Farley,  1798;  Rev. 
Mighill  Blood,  1800  ;  Rev.  David  Jewett,  1801 ; 
Rev.  Caleb  J.  Tenney,  1801  ;  Jonathan  East- 
man, 1803;  Dr.  Noah  Hardy,  1803:  Rev.  Ste- 
phen Farley,  1804;  Rev.  Eli  Smith,  1809; 
Rev.  Grant  Powers,  1810 ;  Rev.  Leonard  Jew- 
ett, 1810  ;  Dr.  Noah  Hardy,  1812 ;  Luke  East- 
man, 1812. 


234  HISTORY    OF 


Yale  College. — Joseph  E.  Worcester,  1811 ;  Rev. 
Ralph  Emerson,  1811. 

Brown  University. — Rev.  Daniel  Kendrick,  1809; 
Luther  Smith. 

Middlebury  College. — William  Tenney,  1808  ; — 
Rev.  Fifield  Holt,  and  Solomon  Hardy. 

Tennessee  College. — Eli  Sawtell. 

Since  1823,  a  large  number  have  been  edu- 
cated at  various  Colleges,  among  whom  are  Jon- 
athan Sanderson,  Benjamin  F.  Emerson,  Joseph 
Emerson,  Henry  Sanderson.  John  G.  Worcester, 
Benjamin  F.  Farley.  In  1830,  Hollis  had  raised 
and  educated  30  ministers,  8  lawyers,  and  11 
physicians. 

Rev.  Noah  Worcester,  D.  P.,  was  also  a  native 
of  Hollis. 

The  number  of  deaths  for  25  years,  ending 
1818,  was  567.  One  in  nine  of  this  number, 
lived  to  the  age  of  80  years  or  upwards.  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  French,  died  in  1749,  aged  103.  Mrs. 
Ulrich,  a  native  of  Ireland,  died  here  in  1789, 
at  the  age  of  104,  and  was  active  until  she  was 
more  than  a  hundred  years  old.  She  lived  for 
many  years  in  Nashua,  where  the  family  is  call- 
ed Ollerick  upon  the  records  of  the  town.  Capt 
Caleb  Farley  died  in  1830,  aged  100.  In  1830, 
there  were  70  persons  in  town  over  70  years  of 
age,  of  whom  27  were  over  80 ;  and  one,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Hale,  was  98  ! 

The  Representatives  of  Hollis  in  the  General 
Court,  from  1775  to  1782,  and  since  1793,  have 
been  as  follows : 

Samuel  Hobart,  April,  1775. 

Capt.  John  Hale,  May,  1775. 

Stephen  Ames,  December,  1775,  1776,  1777, 
1778. 

Reuben  Dow,  1779. 


NASHUA,  NASHVILLE,  &C.  235 

John  Hale,  1780. 

Capt.  Daniel  Emerson,  1781. 

Jeremiah  Ames,  1793,  1794,  1796,  1798,  1800. 

Daniel  Emerson,  1801, 1802,  1803,  1809,  1810, 
1811. 

Benjamin  Poole,  1804,  1805,  1806,  1807,  1808. 

Nathan  Thayer,  1812,  1819,  1820,  1821. 

Daniel  Bailey,  1813. 

Benjamin  M.  Farley,  1814,  1815,  1816,  1817, 
1818,  1824,  1825,  1826,  1827,  1828,  1829. 

Ralph  W.  Jewett,  1822,  1823. 

Jonathan  T.  Wright,  1830,  1831. 

Ralph  E.  Tenney,  1832,  1833,  1834. 

Moses  Proctor,  1835,  1836,  1837. 

Joseph  E.  Smith,  1838,  1839. 

Leonard  Farley,  1840,  1841,  1842. 

William  Merrill,  1843,  1844. 

Ralph  E.  Tenney,  1845. 

The  proportion  of  every  thousand  dollars  of 
the  State  tax  paid  by  the  town  of  Hollis,  at  va- 
rious periods,  has  been  as  follows  :  1794,  $7.77  ; 
1S04,  $6.57:  1808,  $5.62;  1812,  $5.32;  1816, 
$5.13;  1820,  $5.52;  1836,  $5.50;  1840,  $5.79; 
1844,  $5.69. 

The  population  of  the  town  at  various  periods, 
has  been  as  follows  :  1775,  1255  ;  1790,  1441  ; 
1800,  1557;  1810,  1529;  1820,  1543;  1830, 
1501 ;  1840,  1333. 

In  1820,  Hollis  contained  1  meeting  house,  12 
school  houses,  2  taverns,  4  stores,  6  saw  mills,  5 
grain  mills,  1  clothing  mill,  1  carding  machine, 
1  tannery. 

The  resources  and  products  of  Hollis,  in  1840, 
as  returned  by  the  United  States  census,  were  as 
follows:  190  horses,  1530  neat  cattle,  1055  sheep, 
358  swine,  1815  bushels  of  wheat,  447  bushels 
of  barley,  3988  bushels  of  oats,  3983  bushels  of 
rye,  578  bushels  of  buckwheat,  7648  bushels  of 


236  HISTORY   OF 


corn,  17.935  bushels  of  potatoes,  2625  pounds 
of  wool,  1806  tons  of  hay.  The  value  of  the 
products  of  the  dairy  was  $3,575.  There  were 
2  stores  with  a  capital  of  $8,000  invested ;  3 
grain  mills,  and  3  saw  mills. 


*•>, 

APPENDIX  NO.  1, 


GENEALOGY  OF  THE    EARLY    SETTLERS   OF 
DUNSTABLE. 

THERE  is  a  natural  desire  in  every  mail  to  know  some- 
thing of  his  ancestry,  and  to  the  descendants  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Dunstable  it  must  be  interesting  to  trace  back 
their  families  to  their  origin.  The  materials  for  this  pur- 
pose exist,  to  a  great  extent,  in  the  ancient  records  of  Mar- 
riages, Births  and  Deaths  among  the  town  papers,  a  large 
part  of  which  were  collected,  compared,  and  arranged  by 
John  Farmer,  Esq.  His  deserved  reputation  as  an  anti- 
quarian is  a  guarantee  of  its  accuracy.  The  list  is  not  gen- 
erally brought  down  to  a  period  later  than  1750;  to  have 
extended  it  would  have  required  too  much  time  and  space. 

ACRES,  JOHN.— He  was  of  Boston  in  1656;  settled  in 
Dunstable  before  1680 ;  and  had  children,  Mary,  born 
26th.  May,  1682,  and  Joanna,  born  10th.  Jan.,  1684. 

ADAMS,  THOMAS.— Born  1675:  died  18th.  Feb.,  1746, 
aged  71.  His  wife,  Judy,  born  1680 :  died  15th.  April, 
1754,  aged  74.  Had  children,  Phinehas,  born  1724 :  died 
4th.  Dec.,  1747,  aged  23. 

BLANCHARD,  DEA.  JOHN.— One  of  the  founders  of  the 
church  in  1685;  freeman  1649;  son  of  Thomas  Blanch- 
ard,  who  came  to  New  England  in  the  ship  Jonathan, 
in  1639.  Settled  in  Charlestown,  and  died  there  21st. 
May,  1654,  He  left  children,  Joseph  and  Thomas, 


•     ••      •          ;.:._•...  •  _• :'_  ••••--        '     — ^ — -| 

238  APPENDIX. 

BLANCHARD,  CAPT.  JOSEPH.— Son  of  preceding; 
married  Abiah  Hassett,  daughter  of  Joseph  Hassell, 
Sen.,  25th.  May,  1696.  She  died  8th.  Dec.,  1746,  aged 
70.  He  died  in  1727.  His  children  were,  1.  Elizabeth, 
born  15th.  April,  1697 :  married  Jona.  Cummings ;  2. 
Esther,  born  24th.  July,  1699 ;  3.  Hannah,  born  28th. 
Oct.,  1701;  4.  Joseph,  born  llth.  Feb.,  1704;  5.  Ra- 
chel, born  23rd.  March,  1705 :  died  in  infancy ;  6.  Su- 
sanna, born  29th.  March,  1707;  7.  Jane,  born  19th. 
March,  1709 :  married  Rev.  Josiah  &ivO)i  ;  8.  Rachel, 
born  23rd.  March,  1712;  9.  Eleazer,  born  1st.  Dec., 
1715  :  died  29th.  April  1717. 

BLANCHARD,  COL.  JOSEPH.— Son  of  the  preceding  ; 
born  llth.  Feb.,  1704:  married  Rebecca  Hubbard;  died 
7th.  April,  1758:  she  died  17th.  April,  1774.  His  chil- 
dren were,  1.  Sarah,  born  170o:  died  30th.  Nov.,  1726  ; 
2.  Joseph,  born  28th.  April,  1729;  3  and  4.  Eleazer 
and  Susanna,  born  15th.  Novw  1730 :  Eleazer  died  19th. 
March,  1753,  aged  22;  5.  Rebecca,  born  20th.  July, 
1732  ;  6,  Sarah,  born  7th.  Oct.,  1734  :  died  in  infancy ; 
7.  Catherine,  born  llth.  Nov.,  1736 ;  8.  JonatJian,  born 
18th.  Sept.,  1738:  died  18th.  July,  1788;  9.  Sarah,  born 
2d.  Aug.,  1740  ;  10.  James,  born  20th.  Sept.,  1742 :  in 
army;  11.  Augustus,  born  29th.  July,  1746:  died  at 
Milford,  1809;  12.  Caleb,  born  15th.  Aug.,  J  549;  13-* 
Hannah,  born  21st.  Oct.,  1751 :  married  Dr.  Ebenezer 
Starr,  of  D.,  21st.  April,  1776:  died  22d.  March,  1794, 
aged  42. 

BLANCHARD,  HON.  JONATHAN.— Son  of  the  preced- 
ing ;  born  18th.  Sept.,  1738  :  married  Rebecca  Farweil, 
of  this  town,  who  died  20th.  Aug.,  1811,  aged  72.  He 
died  10th.  July,  1788,  aged  50.  His  children  were,  1. 
Rebecca,  born  4th.  May,  1766  :  married  Dr.  Augustus 


APPENDIX.  239 


Starr :  died  19th.  Oct.,  1810,  aged  45 ;  2.  Grace,  who 
married  Frederick  French,  Esq. ;  3.  Sophia :  married 
Oliver  Far-well,  and  still  living;  4.  dutrles,  born  14th. 
March,  1776:  died  at  Batavia,  New  York,  16th.  March, 
1811;  5.  Abigail:  married  Dr.  Joseph  F.  Eastman,  of 
Hollia,  and  still  living.  Eliza  married  Thomas  French 
Esq.:  died  1843. 

BLANCHARD,  THOMAS.— Son   of   Dea.    John;    born 

about  1670 :    married    Tabitha ,  who  died  29th. 

Nov.,  1696:  married  Ruth  Mams,  of  Chelmsford,  4th. 
Oct.,  1698 :  died  9th.  March,  1727.  His  children  were, 
1,  Migail,  born  5th.  May,  1694 ;  2.  John,  born  20th.  May, 
1696;  3.  Thomas,  born  12th.  Aug.,  1799  :  taken  captive 
by  the  Indians  in  September,  1724;  4.  PPilliam,  born 
1701 ;  5.  Ruth,  born  1st.  April,  1703. 

BLANCHARD,  THOMAS,  Jr., and  Elizabeth,  his  wife;  — 
son  of  the  preceding.  Had  a  son  Thomas,  3d.,  born 
20th.  Oct.,  1724. 

BLANCHARD,  JOHN.— Son  of  Thomas,  Sen.,  born  20th. 
May,  1696:  wife's  name,  Mary.  Had  a  son  William. 

BLANCHARD,  NATHANIEL,  and  Lydia,  his  wife;  — 
killed  by  the  Indians,  3d.  July,  1706.  Had  a  son,  Na- 
thaniel, 2d,  born  12th.  Sept.,  1705. 

BLANCHARD,  WILLIAM.— Son  of  Thomas,  born  1701 : 
married  Deliverance,  daughter  of  Samuel  Searles.  Had 
children,  Olive,  born  4th.  November,  1733 ;  JVathanitl 
born  25th.  Dec,,  1735. 

BE  ALE,  WILLIAM.— Had  children,  William,  born  12th. 
March,  1685,  and  Elizabeth  born  16th.  Nov.,  1686. 

BEALE,  SAMUEL.— Had  children,  Samuel,  born  3d. 
July,  1685,  and  Ebenezer,  born  30th.  Jan.,  1688. 

.. 
21 


240  APPENDIX. 


BANCROFT,  LIEUT.  TIMOTHY.— Came  from  ; 

born  in  1709:  died  21st.  Nov.,  1772,  aged  63.  He  had 
children,  Col.  Ebenezer,  born  1737:  an  officer  in  tho 
French  and  Revolutionary  wars,  and  in  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill :  died  22d.  Sept.,  1827,  aged  90 ;  Dea.  Jon- 
athan, born  1750:  died  llth.  July,  1815,  aged  65. 

COLBURN,  THOMAS.— Probably  from  Chelmsford,  and 
a  son  of  Edward  Colburn ;  born  about /1675:  died  2d. 
Nov.,  1770,  aged  96 ;  his  wife  died  7th.  Sept.,  1739,  aged 
59.  His  children  were,  1.  Elizabeth,  born  29th.  Sept., 
1700;  2.  Thomas,  born  28th.  April,  1702:  died  18th. 
April,  1724;  3.  Hannah,  born  21st.  Jan.,  1704:  died 
8th.  March,  1718 ;  4.  Edward,  born  14th.  Dec.,  1705 : 
died  18th.  April,  1724;  5.  a  daughter,  born  28th.  Nov., 
1707;  6.  a  son,  born  April,  1709;  7.  Sarah;  8.  Bridget, 
borii  20th.  Aug.,  1717;  9.  Louisa,  born  1718 ;  10.  Ra- 
chel, born  18th.  Sept.,  1721. 

COLBURN,  THOMAS,  and  Elizabtth,  his  wife.  Had  a 
son  Isaac,  born  28th.  Doc.,  1811. 

CUMMINGS,  JOHN,  SEN.— His  wife  was  Sarah , 

who  died  7th.  Dec.,  1700 ;  he  died  1st.  Dec.,  1700.— 
His  children  were,  John,  Nathaniel,  Sarah,  Thomas, 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Ebenezer.  The  two  latter  were 
either  killed  by  the  Indians,  or  were  drowned,  as  they 
"  died  Nov.  2,  1688,"  and  were  not  buried  for  many 
days  after. 

CUMMINGS,  JOHN,  JR.— Son  of  preceding;    married 

Elizabeth  ,  13th.  Sept.,  1680.    She  was  killed 

by  the  Indians,  3d.  July,  1706.  His  children  were,  1. 
John,  born  7th.  July,  1682;  2.  Samuel,  born  6th.  Oct., 
1684 ;  3.  Elizabeth,  born  5th.  Jan.,  1687 ;  4.  Anna,  born 
14tli.  Sept.,  1698;  5.  Lydia,  born  24th.  March,  1701: 
died  April,  1701 ;  6.  William,  born  24th.  April,  1702. 


APPENDIX. 


241 


CUMMINGS,  NATHANIEL.— Son  of  John,  Sen.  His 
children  were,  1.  John,  born  14tli.  Jan.,  1698  ;  2.  A*a- 
tJianiel,  born  8tli.  Sept.,  1699;  3.  Eliezer,  born  19tli. 
Oct.,  1701 ;  4.  SompA,  born  26th.  May,  1704. 

CUMMINGS,  ABRAHAM,— Son  of  John,  Sen.  Had  a  son 
Josiah,  born  12th.  July,  1698. 

CUMMINGS,  THOMAS.- Son  of  John,  Sen.;  born  in 
1659:  married  Priscilla  Waywr,  sister  of  Samuel  W., 
of  D.,  19th.  Dec.,  1688:  died  20th.  Jan.,  1723.  His 
children  were,  1.  Priscilla,  born  1st.  Oct.,  1689;  2. 
Mary,  born  25th.  April,  1692  ;  3.  Anna,  born  6th.  Feb., 
1699;  4.  Thomas,  born  10th.  April,  1701  ;  5.  Jonathan, 
born  3d.  July,  1703:  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Joseph  Blanchard ;  6.  Ephraim,  born  10th.  March, 
1706:  7.  Samuel,  born  12th.  April,  1708. 

CUMMINGS,  DEA.  WILLIAM.— Son  of  John,  Jr.;  born 
24th.  April,  1702  :  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  William 
Harwood :  died  9th.  Sept.,  1758.  His  children  were, 
1.  Sarah,  born  10th.  Nov.,  1728 ;  2.  Ebenezer,  born  29th. 
Jan.,  1730;  3.  John  Harwood,  born  24th.  April,  1733; 
4.  Dorcas,  born  18th.  Dec.,  1737. 

CUMMINGS,  JONATHAN.— Son  of  Thomas;  born  3d. 
July,  1703:  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Capt.  Joseph 
Blanchard,  and  had  a  son,  Benjamin  Blanchard,  born 
15th.  Aug.,  1732. 

CUMMINGS,  SAMUEL,  (and  Prudence,  his  wife,)  son  of 
Thomas  ;  born  12th.  April,  1708.  Had  daughters  Sybil, 
born  1st.  Nov.,  1736;  Prudence,  born  26th.  Nov.,  1740. 

CUMMINGS,  NATHANIEL,  JR.— Son  of  Nathaniel;  — 

born  8th.  Sept.,  1699:  married  Elizabeth .     His 

children    were,  1.  Nathaniel,  born   7th,  July,  1724  ;   2. 
Jeremiah,  born   27th.  Dec.,  1726 :   3.  Oliver,  born   10th. 


242 


APPENDIX. 


April,  1728;  4.  Elizabeth,  born   30th.  Dec.,  1730;    5. 
Abigail,  born  12th.  Feb.,  1732. 

CUMMINGS,  ELEAZER.— Son  of  Nathaniel,  Sen.;  born 

19th.  Oct.,  1701 :  married   Rachel .    Had  a  son 

Eleazer,  born  15th.  Dec.,  1730. 

COOK,  ANDREW.— His  children  were  Lydla,  born  26th. 
July,  1686;  and  Andrew,  Alice,  and  Elizabeth,  born  af- 
terwards. 

COFFIN,  REV.  ENOCH.— From  Newbury,  Mass.  Had 
a  daughter,  Mehitable,  born  5th.  Nov.,  1719.  Settled  in 
Concord,  N.  H. 

DARBYSHIRE,  JOHN.— His  children  were,  1.  William, 
born  14th.  Aug.,  1698;  2.  James,  born  30th.  April, 
1702. 

DANFORTH,  JOSEPH.— Died  in  Tyng^borougb,  30th. 
March,  1795,  aged  75. 

FARWELL,  HENRY.— From  Chehnsford ;  a  son  of  Henry 
Farwell,  of  Concord.  His  children  were,  1.  Henry ;  2. 
Oliver,  born  1691 :  killed  by  the  Indians  at  Naticook, 
5th.  Sept.,  1724 ;  3.  Josiah,  the  only  survivor  of  that 
fight :  was  a  lieutenant  under  Lovewell,  and  killed  at 
Pigwacket,  8th.  May,  1725;  4.  Jonathan,  born  24th. 
July,  1700;  5.  Susanna,  born  19th.  Feb.,  1703;  6.  Isaac, 
born  4th.  Dec.,  1704 ;  7.  Sarah,  born  4th.  Dec.,  1706. 

FARWELL,  HENRY,  JR.— Son  of  the  preceding;  mar- 
ried Esther  Blanchard,  daughter  of  Capt.  Joseph  Blanch- 
ard.  His  children  were,  1.  Eleazer,  born  7th.  Oct, 
1726;  2.  Esther,  born  16th.  May,  1730;  3.  Olive,  born 
19th.  July,  1732. 

FARWELL,  JONATHAN.— Son  of  Henry,  Sen.;  born 
24th.  July,  1700:  married  Susanna .  His  chil- 
dren were,  1.  Susanna,  born  17th.  Jan.,  1724 ;  2.  Ra- 


APPENDIX. 


243 


chel,  born  19th.  Feb.,  1728 ;  &  Jonathan,  born  28th. 
Aug.,  1729. 

FARWELL,  OLIVER.-Son  of  Henry,  Sen.;  born  1691 : 
married  Mary  Cummings,  daughter  of  Thomas  Cum- 
mings:  killed  by  the  Indians,  5th.  Sept.,  1724,  aged  33. 
His  children  were,  1.  Mary,  born  8th.  May,  1716;  2, 

Oliver,  born  19th.  Nov.,  1717:  married  Abigail . 

who  died  18th.  Aug.,  1789,  aged  68^:  he  died  12th.  Oct., 
1808,  in  this  town,  aged  91 ;  3.  Benjamin,  born  14th. 
May,  1720:  died  20th.  March,  1772;  4.  Sarah,  born 
8th.  May,  1724. 

FARWELL,  LT.  JOSIAH.— Son  of  Henry,  Sen.;  married 
Hannah  Lovewell,  Had  a  daughter  Hannah,  born  27th. 
Jan.,  1723. 

FARWELL,  ISAAC.— Son  of  Henry,  Sen,;  born  4th.  Dec., 
1704.  His  children  were,  1.  Elizabeth;  2.  Josiah,  born 
19th.  Aug.,  1728;  3.  Relief;  4.  Bunker,  born  28th. 
Jan.,  1732 ;  5.  Abigail ;  6.  Isaac,  born  18th.  Feb., 
1736. 

FLETCHER,  ROBERT.— Came  from  Chelmsford.  His 
children  were,  1.  Sarah,  born  1st.  March,  1724  ;  2.  Rob- 
ert,born  1727:  died  9th. Sept.,  1792,  aged  65;  3.  Eliza- 
beth; 4.  Mary. 

FLETCHER,  ROBERT.— Son  of  the  preceding  ;  born 
1727:  died  9th.  Sept.,  1792,  aged  65.  Had  children, 
Robert,  born  1st.  Aug.,  1762;  Hannah. 

FRENCH,  SAMUEL.— Son  of  Lt.  ffiUiam  French;  born 
at  Cambridge,  3d.  Dec.,  1645 :  removed  to  Billerica,  and 
thence  to  Dunstable:  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  John 
Cummings,  Sen.,  24th.  Dec.,  1682.  His  children  were 
1.  Sarah,  born  Feb.,  1684 ;  2.  Samuel,  born  10th.  Sept., 
1685,  died  4th.  Nov.  1727 ;  3.  Joseph,  born  10th.  March, 

*21 


244 


APPENDIX. 


1687 ;  4.  John,  born  May,  1691 ;  5.  Ebenezer,  born  7th. 
April,  1693  :  killed  by  Indians  5th.  Sept.,  1724  ;  6.  Rich- 
ard, born  8th.  April,  1695 ;  7.  Alice,  born  20th.  Nov., 
1699 ;  8.  Jonathan,  born  1st.  Feb.,  1704  :  a  deacon  :  — 
died  17th.  Nov.,  1757. 

FRENCH,  JOSEPH.— Son  of  preceding;  born  10th. 
March,  1687  :  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Cum- 
mings,  Jr.  His  children  were,  1.  Joseph,  born  28th. 
July,  1713;  2.  Sampson,  born  28th.  July,  1717;  3.  Jo- 
siah,  born  24th.  Feb.,  J723 ;  4.  Thomas,  born  29th.  June, 
1724 ;  5.  Benjamin,  born  6th.  July,  1726 ;  6.  Samuel, 
born  10th.  Aug.,  1730. 

FRENCH,  SAMUEL.— Perhaps  a  brother  of  Henry  French; 
born  about  1665.  His  children  were,  John,  born  6th. 
May,  1691 ;  and  Ebenezer,  born  7th.  April,  1693. 

FRENCH,  JOHN.-Son  of  Samuel;  born  6th.  May,  1601. 
His  children  were,  John,  born  1st.  March,  1719;  Wil- 
liam, born  18th.  Oct.,  1721 ;  and  Hannah,  Eleazer  and 
Elizabeth,  Ebenezer,  and  Sarah,  born  from  1723  to  1733. 

FRENCH,  EBENEZER.— Son  of  Samuel;  born  7th.  April, 
1G93:  killed  by  the  Indians  at  Naticook  Brook,  5th. 
Sept.,  1724.  Had  a  son,  Ebenezer,  born  27th.  Oct.,  1723. 

FRENCH,  JOSEPH,  JR.— Son  of  Joseph;  boru  28th.  July, 
1713:  died  21st.  April,  1776.  His  first  wife,  Bridget 

,  died  29th.  Oct.,  1735,  aged  29  :  childless ;  hia 

second  wife,  Elizabeth  ,  died   20th.  Jan.,  1753, 

aged  44.  Had  a  son,  Joseph,  born  1st.  NOT.,  1739 :  was 
a  Colonel,  and  died  1770 :  married  Sybil  Richardson, 
who  died  3d.  March,  1768. 

FRENCH,  THEODORE. -Son  of  Joseph  3d.;  born  6th. 
Jan.,  1759  married  Rhoda  Danforth,  4th.  Oct.,  1781.— 
Hi*  children  were,  I.  Joseph,  born  22d.  Nov.,  1783;  2. 


B- 


APPENDIX. 


245 


Theodore,  born  1 9th.  Dec.,  1786  :  married  Lydia  Mlds, 
of  D.,  now  of  Concord,  N.  H.;  3.  Jacob,  born  24th. 
Oct.,  1789  :  of  Stoddard. 

FRENCH,  BENJAMIN.— Son  of  Joseph,  Sen.;  born  6th. 
July,  1726 :  married  Molly,  daughter  of  Col.  Zaccheus 
Lovewell,  28th.  Jan.,  1751,  who  died  17th.  Dec.,  1774 ; 
and  for  a  second  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  Cummings,  1st.  Feb., 
1776.  He  died  15th.  Dec.,  1799,  aged  74.  His  children 
were,  Benjamin,  born  4th.  Dec.,  1752 :  died  29th.  Oct., 
1776,  aged  23;  Esther;  Augustus;  Betty,  Charlotte; 
Frederic,  born  26th.  Sept,  1766;  Thomas,  born  7th. 
May,  1768;  Lucy,  married  James  Cummings,  5th.  July, 
1787 :  and  Bridget. 

FRENCH,  FREDERIC.— Son  of  the  preceding;  born 
26th.  Sept.,  1766:  married  Grace,  daughter  of  Hon.  Jon- 
athan Blanchard,  30th.  Dec.,  1790:  died  at  Amherst,  N. 
H.  His  children  were,  Benjamin  Frederic,  born  2d. 
Oct.,  1791 ;  Charles;  Arthur;  Rebecca;  and  Edward. 

FRENCH,  THOMAS.— Son  of  Capt.  Benjamin ;  born  7th. 
May,  1768  :  married  Elizabeth  Blanchard,  7th.  Jan.,  1796 ; 
he  died  3d.  May,  1846,  aged  78 :  she  died  4th.  May, 
1843.  Their  children  Were,  Jonathan  Blanchard,  born 
16th.  Oct.,  1796;  Mary;  Elizabeth;  Caroline;  Thomas; 
Benjamin ;  and  Charles. 

HARWOOD,  WILLIAM.— Born  in  1665:  married  Esther 

;    ho  died   17th.  Sept.,  1740,  aged  75 :  she  died 

8th.  Oct.,  1737,  aged  72.  His  children  were,  John, 
killed  in  the  Pigwacket  Fight,  8th.  May,  1725 ;  Thomas, 
born  9th.  Jan.,  1702;  Mary;  Sarah;  Abigail;  Rachel; 
Dorcas ;  and  Lydia. 

HASSELL,  JOSEPH,  SEN.— Of  Cambridge:  freeman 
1647:  his  wife  was  Joanna ;  both  killed  by  the 

I •.  .  — — — B 


246 


APPENDIX. 


Indians,  Sept.,  1791.  His  children  were,  1.  Joseph,boru 
at  Cambridge,  1645 ;  2.  Esther,  born  at  Cambridge, 
1648 :  married  Obadiah  Perry ;  3.  Richard,  taken  pris- 
oner by  the  Indians ;  4.  dbiah,  married  Capt.  Joafph 
Blanchard. 

HASSELL,  JOSEPH,  JR.— Son  of  the  preceding;  born 
in  1645.  His  children  were,  Joseph;  Benjamin;  Han- 
nah; Esther;  Dinah;  Abiah;  Betsy;  RacJiel ;  and  Sa- 
rah,  born  iroru  1700  to  1721. 

HASSELL,  BENJAMIN.— Son  of  Joseph,  Jr.;  born  19th. 
Aug.,  1701.  Had  a  daughter,  Adah,  born  27th.  April, 
1734. 

HOWARD,  SAMUEL.— Born  in  1G84 ;  died  7th.  Feb., 
1769,  aged  85. 

JOHNSON,  NOAH.— Probably  from  Woburn  ;  born  in 
1698:  survivor  of  Love  well's  Fight:  died  at  Pembroke, 
13th.  Aug.,  1798,  in  the  one  hundredth  year  of  his  age. 
His  children  were,  Elizabeth,  born  3d.  Oct.,  1728  ;  Noah, 
born  27th.  May,  1730 ;  aud  Edward,  killed  in  the  old 
French  war. 

KENDALL,  JOHN.— Probably  from  Woburn;    married 

Deborah ,  who  died  3d.  March,  1739,  aged  45. — 

His  children  were,  1.  Sarah,  born  23d.  May,  1727 ;  2. 
Jacob,  born  9th.  Aug.,  1729;  3.  Temple,  born  10th. 
Aug.,  1731.  He  was  the  ancestor  of  Hon.  Amos  Ken- 
dall, and  liv^d  in  that  part  of  the  town  which  is  now 
Dunstable,  Mass. 

LOVEVVELL,  JOHN.— Probably  from  Weymouth  ;  born 

in    England   before   1650:    married   Hannah  : 

died  about  1754 — said  to  have  been  aged  120.  His 
children  were,  1.  John,  a  Captain,  the  hero  of  Pig- 
wacket,  born  14th.  Oct.,  1691 ;  killed  by  the  Indians  at 


APPENDIX. 


247 


Pigwrcket,  8th.  May,  1725;  2.  Hannah:  married  Capt. 
Josrph  Baker,  of  Roxbury :  3.  Zaccheus,  a  Colonel  in 
the  French  war,  born  22d.  July,  1701  ;  4.  Jonathan, 
born  14th.  May,  1713:  a  judge:  died  about  1792,  un- 
married. 

LOVEWELL,  CAPT.  JOHN.— Son  of  the  preceding ; 
born  14th.  Oct.,  1691 :  killed  8th.  May,  1725.  His  wid- 
ow, Hannah,  died  5th.  Jan.,  1754.  His  children  were, 
1.  John,  born  30th.  June,  1718  :  died  2d.  July,  1763  5  — 
left  children,  John,  Jonathan,  Rachel,  and  Mary;  2. 
Hannah,  born  24th.  July,  1721  ;  3.  Nehemiah,  born  9th. 
Jan.,  1726 :  married  Rachel,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Far- 
well,  24th.  Nov.,  1748:  removed  to  Corinth,  Vt.,  where 
he  died,  leaving  a  numerous  family. 

LOVEWELL,  COL.   ZACCHEUS.— Son  of  John,  Sen.; 

born  22d.  July,  1701:    married  Esther  :    died 

12th.  April,  1772,  aged  72.  His  children  were,  1.  Zac- 
cheus,  born  19th.  Feb.,  1726;  2.  Esther,  born  10th. 
Nov.,  1728  ;  3.  Lucy,  born  12th.  Jan.,  1730 ;  4.  Molly, 
born  26th.  May,  1732,  who  married  Capt.  Benjamin 
French,  and  died  17th.  Dec.,  1774;  5.  Bridget,  who 
married  Augustus  Blanchard,  and  died  25th.  Nov.,  1836, 
aged  88;  and  6.  Noah,  born  1741,  and  died  in  D.,29th. 
May,  1820,  aged  79. 

LOVEWELL,  GEN.  NOAH.— Son  of  Col.  Zaccheus;  horn 
1741 ;  married  Mary  Farwell,  17th.  Dec.^  1767.  He 
died  29th.  May,  1820;  she  died  24th.  Nov.,  1835,  aged  93. 
His  children  were,  Betsy,\vho  married  Hon.  Jesse  Bow- 
ers; Mary,  who  married  Luther  Taylor,  of  D.;  and  Moody 
D.,  still  living. 

LUND,  THOMAS.— Born  about  1660.  His  children 
were,  1.  Thomas,  born  9tb.  Sept.,  1682 ;  2.  Elizabeth, 


248  APPENDIX. 

born  29th.  Sept.,  1684;  3.  William,  born  25th.  Jan., 
1686. 

LUND,  THOMAS,  2d.— Son  of  the  preceding;  born  9th. 
Sept.,  1682:  killed  by  the  Indians,  5th.  Sept.,  1724. — 
His  children  were,  1.  Thomas,  born  31st.  Oct.,  1712; 
2.  Elizabeth,  born  14th.  May,  1715;  3.  William,  fcorn 
12th.  Oct.,  1717;  4.  Ephraim,  born  3d.  Aug.,  1720; 
5.  Phinehas,  born  3d.  April,  1723. 

LUND,  WILLIAM.— Son  of  Thomas,  Sen.;  born  25th  .Jan., 

1686:  married  Rachel :    died  in  1768,  aged  81. 

His  children  were,  1.  William,  born  18th.  July,  1717; 
2.  RacM;  3.  Charity,  (a  son)  born  16th.  Feb.,  1731  ; 
4.  Mary. 

LUND,  THOMAS.— Son  of  Thomas,  2t?.;  born  31st.  Oct., 

1712:   a  Deacon:   married  Mary  — :    died   4th. 

Feb.,  1790.  He  had  a  son,  Thomas,  born  12th.  March, 
1739. 

LUND,  EPHRAIM.— Son  of  Thomas,  2rf.;  born  3d.  Aug., 

1720 :  married  Rachel .     Had  a  daughter,  Rachel, 

born  29th.  Aug.,  1743. 

PERRY,  OBADIAH.— Married  Esther,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph Hassell.  His  children  were,  John,  born  3lst.  Jan., 
1682;  and  Elizabeth,  born  7th.  April,  1683.  He  was 
killed  by  the  Indians,  28th.  Sept.,  1691. 

POLLARD,  THOMAS.— The  family  came  from  Coventry, 

Eng.     He  married  Mary .     His  children  were, 

1.  John,  born  20th.  Sept.,  1727;  2.  Ebene%er,  born  4th. 
Dec.,  1728  ;  3.  Thomas,  born  17th.  Sept.,  1730. 

PRENTICE,  REV.  NATHANIEL.— His  children  were, 
1.  Mary,  born  2d.  Jan.,  1725;  2.  William  Henry,  born 
2d.  Dec.,  1726;  3.  A "athaniel,  born  29th.  May,  1729. 

B 


APPENDIX.  249 


PATTERSON,  JAMES,  and  Mary,  his  wife.  Had  a  son, 
John,  born  10th.  April,  1711. 

POWERS,  CAPT.  PETER,  and  Anna  Keyes,  his  wife  ;  the 
first  settlers  of  Hollis.  He  died  27th.  Aug.,  1757;  his 
widow  died  21st.  Sept.,  1798,  aged  90.  His  children 
were,  1.  Peter,  born  29tb.  Nov.,  1728:  graduated  at  Har- 
vard, 1758:  was  a  minister  40  years,  and  died  at  Deer  Is- 
land, Me.,  in  1800,  aged  72;  2.  Stephen,  born  28th.  Oct., 
1729;  3.  Anna,  born  9th.  March,  1731 :  married  Ben- 
jamin Hopkins,  of  Milford.  For  a  farther  account  see 
Powers'  Centennial  Address  at  Hollis. 

ROBB1NS,  LT.  JONATHAN.— Probably  came  from 
Concord,  Mass.:  married  Margaret  Goold;  was  Lieu- 
tenant under  Lovewell,  and  killed  in  the  fight,  8th. 
May,  1725.  His  children  were,  Jane,  born  26tli.  Dec., 
1712;  Margaret,  born  29th.  Feb.  1716;  Jonathan,  born 
4tb.  Nov.,  1718;  Elvira,  and  Elizabeth. 

RICHARDSON,  JOSIAH,  and  Phebe,  his  wife.  Had 
children,  Phebe,  born  19th.  Jan.,  1728;  Josiah,  born 
88th.  Sept.,  1729 ;  Lucy,  born  5th.  Oct.,  1731 ;  Eunice, 
born  13th.  Oct.,  1733. 

SEARLES,  SAMUEL,  and  Sarah,  his  wife.  His  children 
were,  Sarah,  born  20th.  Oct.,  1700;  Deliverance;  Samu- 
el, born  1st.  March,  1707;  Mary;  Daniel,  born  17th. 
July,  1715;  John,  born  llth.  Oct.,  1717  ;  Jonathan,  born 
21st.  Sept.,  1720. 

SEARLES,  SAMUEL,  2D.— Son  of  the  preceding ;  born 
1st.  March,  1707.  His  children  were,  Samuel,  born  4th. 
Sept.,  1738  ;  Benjamin,  born  6th.  Sept.,  1740. 

SEARLES,  DANIEL.— Son  of  Samuel,  1st.:  born  17th. 
July,  1715.  His  children  were,  Oliver,  born  20th. 
Aug.,  1736;  and  James,  born  17tb.  Nov.,  1738. 


250 


APPENDIX. 


SOLLEN DINE,  JOHN.— Married  2d.  Aug.,  1680.  His 
children  were,  Sarah,  born  April,  1682;  John,  born 
May,  1683 ;  Alice,  born  Jan.,  1686. 

SMITH,  DBA.  BENJAMIN.— Born  1736:  died  29th. 
March,  1821,  aged  85. 

SWAN,  REV.  JOSIAH.— Married  Jane,  daughter  of  Capt. 
Josiah  Blanchard.  Had  a  son,  Josiah,  boru  25th.  Aug., 
1740. 

TAYLOR,  ABRAHAM,  and  Mary,  his  wife.  Bom  about 
1690;  from  Concord,  Mass.  His  children  were,  1. 
Abraham;  2.  Samuel;  3.  Timothy, born  1st. Sept.,  1718; 
4.  Alice;  5.  Amos,  born  10th.  Sept.,  1725. 

TAYLOR,  JONATHAN,  and  Hannah,  his  wife.  His 
children  were,  David,  born  1st.  Jan.,  1723;  Jonathan 
and  Ephraim,  born  8th.  Sept.,  1725 ;  Hannah;  Esther; 
Sarah;  Nathan,  born  9th.  Oct.,  1734  ;  Oliver,  born  6th. 
April,  1737  ;  Sampson,  born  6th.  Dec.,  1739. 

TAYLOR,  SAMUEL.— Son  of  Abraham.  His  children 
were,  Reuben,  born  8tlt.  March,  1733  ;  Samuel,  born 
13th.  Oct.,  1734  ;  Susannah. 

TEMPLE,  CHRISTOPHER.— Phobably  from  Concord, 
Mass.;  married  Alice,  daughter  of  Joseph  Hassell,  3d. 
Dec.,  1685:  killed  by  the  Indians,  28th.  Sept.,  1691. 
His  children  were,  Jeremiah,  born  6th.  Oct.,  1686  ;  Alice, 
born  3d.  Jan.,  1689;  Christopher,  born  3d.  Oct.,  1690. 

TYNG,  HON.  EDWARD.— From  Boston,  where  he  was 
Rep.  Assistant,  and  Major  General ;  removed  to  Dun- 
stable  in  1679,  and  died  28th.  December,  1681,  aged  81. 
His  children  were,  Jonathan,  born  15th.  Dec.,  1642 ; 
Edward,  Governor  of  Annapolis,  &c.;  Hannah,  who 
married  Habijah  Savage,  and  for  a  second  husband, 


APPENDIX.  251 


Rev.  Thomas  Weld  ;  Eunice,  wife  of  Rev.  Samuel  \Vil- 
lard,  President  of  Harvard  College;  Rebecca,  wife  of 
Gov.  Joseph  Dudley;  and  another  daughter  who  mar- 
ried a  Searle. 

TYNG,  HON.  JONATHAN.— Son  of  Hon.  Edward; 
married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Hezekiah  Usher :  died  9th. 
Jan.,  1724.  His  children  were,  John,  born  about  l^Bt) ; 
graduated  Harvard  College,  169ur:  killed  by  Indians  in 
Aug.,  1710;  William,  born  22d.' April,  1679;  Jonathan, 
born  29th.  Sept.,  1686  ;  Eleazer,  born  30th.  April,  1690 : 
graduated  Harvard  College,  1712;  Bershela,  (a  son)  born 
5th.  Feb.,  1694 ;  Mary. 

TYNG,  ELEAZER.— Son  of  Jonathan;  born  3d.  April, 
1690  :  graduated  Harvard  College  1712.  His  children 
were,  Jonathan,  born  10th.  Sept.  1717;  Sarah,  born  22d. 
April,  1720,  who  married  John  Winslow;  Benjamin,  born 
26th.  January,  1722;  John  Alford,  [Judge  Tyng,]  born 
29th.  August,  1729;  James,  born  6th.  March,  1731. 

USHER,  ROBERT.— Son  or  relative  of  Hezeldah  Usher; 
from  Charlestown,  Mass.  His  children  were,  /o/tn, 
born  31st.  May,  1696  ;  Robert,  born  June  1700;  killed 
in  Pigwacket  fight. 

USHER,  JOHN.— Son  of  the  preceding :  born  31st.  May, 
1696 ;  his  children  were,  John,  born  2d.  May,  1728  ; 
Robert,  born  9th.  April,  1730;  Rachel;  Habijah,  born 
8th.  August,  1734. 

WALDO,  JOHN.— From  Chelmsford :  son  of  Dea.  Corne- 
lius Waldo;  removed  to  D.  His  children  were,  John, 
born  about  1682 ;  Catharine;  Rebecca. 

WALDO,  DANIEL.— Son  of  Dea.  Cornelius.  He  had  two 
daughters,  born  1684,  and  1687. 


252 


APPENDIX. 


WARNER,  SAMUEL.— Married  Mary  Swalloiv  4th.  May, 
1684.  His  children  were,  Eliezer,  born  27th.  Jan.  1686  ; 
Prisdlla. 

WELD,  REV.  THOMAS.— First  minister  of  Dimstable : 
son  of  Thomas  Weld  of  Roxbury,  Mass.;  married  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Rev.  John  Wilson  of  Medfield,  9th.  No- 
vember, 1681,  who  died  29th.  July,  1687 ;  his  second 
wife  was  widow  Hannah  Savage,  daughter  of  Hon.  Ed- 
ward Tyng.  He  died  in  1702 ;  she  died  at  the  resi- 
dence of  her  son,  Rev.  Habijah  S.  Weld,  in  Attleboro', 
Mass.,  in  1731.  His  children  were,  Elizabeth,  born  13th. 
October,  1682  ;  Thomas,  born  7th.  February,  1684  ;  by 
his  first  wife :  and  Samuel,  born  4th.  March,  1701 ;  and 
Habijah  Savage,  born  in  September,  1702,  by  his  second 
wife  ;  ordained  at  Attleborough,  Mass.,  1727,  and  died 
there  in  1782,  aged  80.  (1.) 

WHITING,  SAMUEL.— Probably  a  son  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Whiting,  of  Billerica;  born  19th.  January,  1662;  died 
14th.  March,  1715,  aged  51.  His  children  were,  Samuel, 
born  22d.  October,  1687  ;  who  was  in  the  Pigwacket 
Fight;  Elizabeth;  Catharine;  Leonard,  born  12th. Aug. 
1693;  Joseph,  born  14th.  Dec.  1695;  Mary;  Dorcas; 
John,  born  llth.  March,  1706. 

WHITING,  JOSEPH.— Born  about  1735;  grandson  of 
preceding;  married  Abigail  Chamberlain,  llth.  June, 
1761 ;  she  died  I9th.  April,  1779.  His  children  were,  1. 
Joseph,  born  13th.  November,  1761 ;  died  2Ist.  August, 
1778 ;  2.  Samuel,  born  30th.  June,  1763  ;  died  at  Am- 
herst  in  March,  1805,  aged  42;  3.  Susanna,  born  20th. 

(I.)  Of  Mr.  Weld  it  is  said,  that  he  "was  distinguished  for  his 
usefulness  in  the  ministry,  and  highly  respected  as  a  man,  both  at 
home  and  abroad.  He  united  to  an  uncommon  degree  the  affections 
of  his  people  for  a  period  of  fifty-five  years,  during  which  he  was 
their  pastor."—  White's  Early  History  of  N.  E.t  271. 


APPENDIX.  253 


March,  1765 ;  4.  Leonard,  born  16th.  January,  1767  ; 
5.  Oliver,  born  29th.  January,  1769;  6.  William,  born 
28th.  September,  1770;  died  in  Merrimac;  7.  Eliza- 
beth, born  16th.  July,  1772;  8.  Thomas,  born  20th.  Oct., 
1774;  died  at  Amherst;  9.  Abigail,  born  18th.  August, 
1776;  10.  Jonathan,  born  14th.  February,  1778;  died 
at  Amherst. 


tf- 


APPENDIX  NO.  II. 


LIST  OF  SOLDIERS  IN  THE  ARMY. 

LIST  of  soldiers  from  that  part  of  Dunstable  which  is 
now  in  New  Hampshire,  in  the  Army  of  the  Revolution, 
from  1775  to  1783 :  (1.) 

David  Adams,*  David  Adams,  Jr.,*  Richard  Adarns,* 
Henry  Adams,  Silas  Adams,t  Isaac  Adams,f  John  Alld, 
David  Alld,  Jacob  Adams,f  James  Blanchard,f  Quarter- 
master of  Scammel's  regiment;  Josiah  Butterfield,  Abel 
Butterfield,  Simeon  Butterfield,*  Thomas  Butterfield,  Clias. 
Butterfield,  Benjamin  Bayley,*  Oliver  Blodgett,  Daniel 
Blood,t  James  Brown,*  a  Lieutenant;  Samuel  Butterfield,f 
John  Butler,f  killed  at  Hubberton,  Vt.,  July  7th.,  1777 ; 
Ebenezer  Bancroft,  (2.)  Jonathan  Bancroft,  Ephraim  Blood,f 
Reuben  Blood,f  Simeon  Blood,f  John  Blanchard,f  Nathan- 
iel Blanchard,  Jonathan  Butterfield,f  Timothy  Blood,f 
Eliphalet  Bayley,*  Eleazer  Blanchard,*  William  Butter- 
field,*  Paul  Clogstone,*  died  at  Cambridge,  1775  ;  John 
Cockle,f  Stephen  Conery,f  John  Concry,f  Medad  Combs,* 
Joseph  Combs,  died  in  the  army ;  William  Cox,  Thomas 

(1.)  Those  persons  to  whose  name  (*)  is  appended,  were  in  the 
£attle  of  Bunker  Hill ;  those  with  (t)  appear  from  the  records  to 
have  belonged  to  this  town;  the  others  are  derived  from  the  recol- 
tions  of  the  survivors  who  are  still  living. 

(2.)  They  resided  on  the  southern  border  of  the  town,  and  were 
called  of  Dunstable,  though  afterwards  living  in  Tyngshorough. 


APPENDIX. 


255 


=8 


Clark,  John  Clogstone,  Samuel  Conery,  William  Dandley, 
James  Dandley,  Joseph  Dix,  Jonathan  Danforth,*  Noah 
Downs,f  Castor  Dickinson,  [colored  ;]  Jonathan  Emerson,* 
a  lieutenant  under  CiHey ;  Ebenezer  Fosdick,*  Benjamin 
French,  Jr.,  killed  in  the  army ;  John  Fletcher,  Joseph 
Farrar,  Eleazer  Fisk,  [living;]  David  Fisk,  Nathan  Fisk, 
Richard  Francis,  Isaac  Foot,  [living;]  Theodore  French, 
John  French,  Archibald  Gibaon,*  James  Gibson,*  William 
Gibbs,t  David  Gilson,f  David  Gilson,  Jr.,f  Peter  Honey,* 
Peter  Honey,  Jr.,  died  in  the  army ;  William  Harris,*  died 
in  the  army;  William  Harris,  Jr.,*  Jonathan  Harris,*  Abra- 
ham Hale,  William  Hunt,  John  Honey,  Jr.,  died  in  the 
army;  Thomas  Harwood,  James  Harwood.*  killed  at 
Hubbertou,  Vt.,  July  7th.,  1777 ;  Ebenezer  Harris,  Jr.,  [liv- 
ing:] William  Honey,  Abijah  Honey,  Calvin  Honey ,f  Ar- 
chibald Harrod,  James  Harrod,f  died  December,  1777,  in 
army:  John  Honey,  John  Harwood,  Joseph  Honey,f  Cal- 
vin Honey,fdied  in  the  army;  Israel  Ingalls,  James  Jewell, 
[living;]  Nathaniel  Jewell,  Nathaniel  Kemp,  Jeremiah 
Keith.f  Reuben  Killicut,  Charity  Killicut,  William  Lund,* 
killed  at  Bunker  Hill ;  Joel  Lund,f  an  Ensign ;  John  Lund,* 
Jonathan  Lund,  Thomas  Lund,  Jonathan  Lovewell,  Jr., 
Jonathan  Lovewell.f  Ichabod  Lovewell,*  John  Lovewell,* 
Nehemiah  Lovewell,*  Henry  Lovewell,*  Asa  Lovejoy, 
Noah  Lovewell.f  Quarter-master  of  Col.  Oilman's  regi- 
ment; Joseph  Larnson,  Jr.,f  William  Lancey,  Richard 
Lovewell,  Stephen  Lovewell,  [colored  ;]  Thomas  Lancey, 
Levi  Lund,  William  JMann,f  killed  in  the  army;  John  Man- 
ning,! taken  prisoner  at  Ticonderoga,  and  afterwards  ire- 
taken;  Eliphalet  Manning,!  Jonathan  Powers,  Thomas 

Perry,f   Ebenezer  Perry,  William    Powell, Pike, 

William  Quinton,f  William  Roby,*  an  Ensign,  and  died 
in  the  army  ;  Samuel  Roby,  John  Robbins,  Jr.,  Abijah 
Reed,*  Abbot  Roby,*  Benjamin  Robbins,  David  Reed,f 

_ 


256  APPENDIX. 


Thomas  Roby,  John  Searles,  Benjamin  Smith,  John 
Snow,  Jr.,*  Joseph  Swallow,*  Joel  Stewart,*  Daniel  Shed,f 
Joseph  Snow,  died  in  tho  army ;  Daniel  Searles,  David 
Smiley,f  James  Seal,f  Silas  Swallow,f  Benjamin  Taylor, 
Jacob  Taylor,  Benjamin  Temple,  Levi  Temple,  Benjamin 
Taylor.  Jr.,f  William  Walker,*  a  Captain  and  Major  ;  Dan- 
iel Warper,*  Quarter-master ;  Joseph  Whiting,  Wenioll 
Wright,  Oliver  Woods,*  died  at  Cambridge  ;  Oliver  Woods, 
Jr.,  John  Wright,  Jr.,*  Benjamin  Whitney,*  Sylvanus  Whit- 
ney, Phinehas  Whitney,*  Paul  Woods,*  Daniel  Wood,* 
Nehemiah  Wright,*  Oliver  Wright,*  Jonathan  Wright,*. 
Samuel  Whiting,*  Oliver  Whiting.- 


APPENDIX  NO.  III. 


DESCRIPTION1  OF  TOWN  HOUSE,  AND 
CEMETERY. 

THE  following  description  of  the  Nashua  Town  House, 
and  Cemetery,  is  taken  from  the  Directory  of  1843.  The 
Town  House  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1843:  — 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Town  of  Nashua,  March, 
1842,  it  was  voted  to  erect  a  Town  House.  The  com- 
mittee appointed  to  receive  proposals  for  a  site  on  which 
it  should  be  erected,  purchased  of  Aaron  F.  Sawyer,  Esq., 
the  land  on  which  stood  his  house  and  office,  a  lot  about 
95  by  133  feet.  The  building  committee  were  Leonard 
W.  Noyes,  Israel  Hunt,  Jr.,  Thomas  Chase,  Franklin 
Fletcher,  and  Samuel  Shepherd,  Esqs.  Samuel  Shep- 
herd, Esq.,  was  chosen  Architect;  and  under  his  superin- 
te"ndence,  the  edifice,  for  taste  in  its  design  and  utility  in 
its  construction,  is  not  surpassed  by  any  other  structure 
of  the  kind  in  New  England.  It  is  constructed  of  brick 
on  a  very  durable  foundation  of  stone,  with  a  basement 
of  fine  hammered  granite.  The  ornaments,  lamp  stands, 
and  balconies,  mostly  from  Grecian  patterns,  are  of  cast 
iron.  The  portico,  7  feet  by  18,  is  of  iron  on  a  base  of 
granite. 

The  building  is  66  by  90  feet,  and  consists  of  the  base- 
ment, first  and  second  stories,  and  the  attic. 


258  APPENDIX. 


One  half  of  the  basement  is  used  for  a  cellar  ;  the  other 
half  i's  occupied  as  a  market,  it  being  9  feet  high,  4  feet 
of  which  are  above  ground.  It  is  well  lighted,  and  there 
is  good  access  from  the  north,  south  and  west  sides. 

The  first  story  contains  two  large  rooms,  the  entrances 
to  which  are  ou  Main  street,  each  18  by  24  feet  and  13  1-2 
feet  high,  one  on  each  side  of  the  front  entrance;  occu- 
pied as  stores.  In  the  rear  of  these  rooms  are  two  smaller 
ones,  each  18  by  14  feet,  occupying  nearly  one  half  of  the 
first  story ;  and  in  the  rear  of  the  above  rooms,  ia  the 
lower  hall,  a  fine  room  17  feet  high  and  38  by  63  feet  It 
is  lighted  by  seven  windows,  and  contains  a  gallery — thus 
giving  room  for  an  audience  of  about  five  hundred  persons. 
The  entries  in  this  story  are  very  spacious.  The  front 
entry  is  38  feet  in  length  and  8  in  width.  Entering  this 
from  the  portico  on  Main  street,  we  observe  first  two  spa- 
cious stairways  for  the  ascent  to  the  third  story.  On  our 
right  and  left,  beyond  the  stairs,  are  entrances  to  the  rooms 
fronting  on  Main  street.  Following  the  entry  to  its  end, 
we  find  the  door,  opening  into  the  lower  hall.  Crossing 
at  right  angles  the  eastern  end  of  the  entry  we  have 
described,  is  another  entry,  leading  from  the  north  to  the 
south  side  of  the  building,  6G  feet  long  and  10  wide. — 
These  of  couse  give  three  doors  for  entrance  or  exit.  O« 
this  second  entry  are  the  two  smaller  rooms.  Ascending 
the  stairs  into  the  second  story,  we  find  the  Town  Hnll, 
70  feet  long,  63  feet  wide,  24  feet  high,  with  moveable 
seats,  arranged  so  as  to  form  a  centre  aisle  and  two  side 
aisles.  With  the  gallery,  there  is  sufficient  room  for 
1300  persons  to  be  comfortably  seated.  It  is  lighted  by 
eleven  large  windows.  There  are  also,  in  this  story,  two 
small  rooms,  one  on  each  side  of  the  stairway,  each  14  by 
12  feet,  and  occupied  as  offices.  The  attic,  70  by  20 
feet,  is  finished  for  the  use  of  military  companies. 


APPENDIX.  259 


The  height  of  the  building,  from  the  ground  to  the  top 
of  the  cupola,  is  about  100  feet.  The  cost  was  nenrly 
$23,000. 

NASHUA   CEMETERY. 

MARCH  19,  1835,  the  proprietors  of  the  real  estate  of 
the  First  Unitarian  Congregational  Society  in  Dunstable 
passed  a  vote  appropriating  their  grounds  contiguous  to  the 
rneeting-house  for  a  burial  place,  under  the  designation 
of  the  Nashua  Cemetery.  In  addition  to  which,  a  piece 
of  land,  owned  by  Daniel  Abbot,  Esq.,  lying  north  of  the 
premises  above  described,  containing  about  8,000  feet,  was 
purchased  and  appropriated  to  the  same  use.  After  hav- 
ing disposed  of  29  lots  by  subscription,  at  $25  per  lot,  the 
proprietors  enclosed  the  ground  with  a  substantial  fence, — 
made  the  several  paths  and  avenues,  and  divided  the  whole 
into  85  lots  of  20  by  17  feet  each.  Five  lota  were  reserved 
as  ministerial  lots  for  the  then  religious  societies  in  Dun- 
stable.  Four  only  were  accepted.  The  first  was  accepted 
by  the  First  Congregational  Society  in  Dunstable,  the 
second  by  the  First  Congregational  Society  in  Nashua, 
the  third  by  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Society,  the 
fourth  by  the  Unitarian  Society. 

In  August,  1835,  an  addition  to  the  Cemetery  was  made 
by  the  purchase  of  a  piece  of  land  of  Mr.  Christopher 
Paige,  lying  east  of  the  same,  containing  about  35,000 
feet,  by  an  association  of  individuals  for  that  purpose, 
to  be  known  by  the  name  of  The.  Nashua  Cemetery  Ad- 
ditional, and  which  was  divided  into  104  lots,  two  of 
which  were  appropriated  by  the  proprietors  for  the  use 
and  benefit  of  strangers.  Of  the  85  lots  in  the  original 
Cemetery,  22  remain  unsold,  leaving  26  lots  unsold  out 
of  189  in  both  Cemeteries. 


260  APPENDIX. 


The  price  of  lots  is  $26,  with  interest  from  June  15, 
1835.  The  officers  ofthe  Cemetery  consist  of  a  Commit- 
tee of  three,  a  Secretary  and  a  Treasurer.  The  present  of- 
ficers are,  Daniel  Abbot,  Joseph  Greeley,  and  Moses  Ty- 
ler, Committee.  John  A.  Baldwin,  Secretary.  Alfred 
Greeley,  Treasurer. 


APPENDIX  NO.  IT 


POPULATION  OF  NASHUA. 

The  population  of  the  town  at  various  periods  has 
been  as  follows : — 

1680 :  30  families,  or  about  120    inhabitants. 

1701:                       25        "        «  «       1£0  " 

1711:                       13        "        "  "        86  " 

1730:                       50        «        "  "      250  " 

1756  :  about  100  rateable  polls,  "  "      450  (1.)  " 

1767  :        262  males  ;  258  females,  520  (2.)  " 

1775 :        376  males ;  329  females,  705  " 

1783:  578(3.)  " 

1790 :  632  " 

1800 :  862  " 

1810 :  1049  « 

1820:  1142  « 

1830:  2417  " 

1836:    2105  males ;  2960  females,  5065  " 

1837:    2138    "         3472        "  5610  " 

1838:    2167    "         3524        "  5691  « 

(1.)  This  included  a  part  of  Hollis.  Of  these  rateable  polls, 
"  not  above  forty  were  able  to  bear  town  charges."  So  says  a  pe- 
tition of  the  day. 

(2.)  There  were  32  unmarried  males  between  16  and  60  years  of 
age;  69  married  males  of  the  same  age;  males  under  16  years, 
151 ;  males  over  60  years,  10. 

(3.)  In  1783  there  were  in  Nashua  88  dwelling-houses,  and  74 
barns. 


262  APPENDIX. 

1840 :    2285  males;  3075  females,  5960(4)mhabitauts. 

1840:    August  U.  S.  Census,  G054  " 

1841:    2389  males;  3770 femalea,  6159  " 

1842^5)2608    "        3828        "  6436  " 

is-iq.  Nashua,     3779? 
13  'Nashville,  2354  \ 

i RA A  .  Nashua,     4128?  ~.^- 

1844 :  Nashville,  2427  \ 

^.  Nashua,     4429^ 
'Nashville,  2432  j' 

(4.)  The  number  of  polls  in  1S39  was  10S2  ;  in  1S40, 1146. 
(3.)  The  town  was  divided  Jan'e  23;  1S42. 


APPENDIX  NO.  V. 

!':  :;i  ,•-.  T;-?:yfI 

LAWYERS  AND  PHYSICIANS. 

ATTORNEYS  AT  LAW. —  Previous  to  1800  there  was  no 
regular  bred  attorney  in  town.  Judge  Lovewell  and  Judge 
Blancliard  acted  in  that  capacity  whenever  necessity  re- 
quired. In  1802,  Hon.  Daniel  Abbot  opened  an  office  a 
little  south  of  the  old  South  Meeting  House,  but  in  1803 
he  removed  to  the  spot  where  Nashua  village  now  stands, 
which  was  then  an  almost  unbroken  forest.  About  1812, 
Samuel  Abbot,  Esq.,  of  Wilton,  opened  an  office  also,  but 
remained  a  short  time  only.  In  1816,  Benjamin  F.  French, 
Esq.  opened  an  office,  and  practised  in  partnership  with  Mr. 
Abbot  until  he  was  appointed  agent  of  the  Jackson  Com- 
pany, in  1831.  At  present  there  are,  arranged  in  the  order 
of  their  residence  in  town :  Hon.  Daniel  Abbot,*  Hon. 
Charles  G.  Atherton,*  Aaron  F.  Sawyer,  George  Y.  Saw- 
yer, Benjamin  F.  Emerson,*  A.  P.  Dudley,  B.  B.  Whitte- 
more,  A.  F.  Stevens,  A.  W.  Sawyer,  Charles  B.  Fletcher, 
Benjamin  M.  Farley. 

Hon.  Charles  F.  Gove  —  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  —  also  resides  in  Nashville. 

PHYSICIANS  AND  SURGEONS. —  During  the  Revolution- 
ary war  and  for  many  years  previous,  Dr.  Nathan  Cutler 
was  the  only  physician  in  town.  After  the  war,  Dr.  Eb- 
enezer  Starr,  of  Dedham,  who  married  Hannah,  daughter 

*  Now  reside  in  Nashville. 

A 
23 


264  APPENDIX. 

of  Hon.  Joseph  Blanchard,  removed  here,  and  died  Sep- 
tember, 1798,  aged  52.  After  his  death,  his  Bon,  Dr.  Au- 
gustus Starr,  who  married  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Hon.  Jon- 
athan Blanchard,  resided  and  practised  in  town  for  some 
years.  Dr.  Maynard  resided  here  in  1803 ;  he  afterwards 
removed  to  Boston,  where  he  died.  About  this  time,  Dr. 
Peter  Howe  practised  here  for  a  number  of  years,  until 
Dr.  Ebenezer  Dearborn  removed  here,  who  still  resides  in 
town.  There  are  now  nine  physicians  in  Nashua,  who  are 
named  according  to  the  length  of  their  residence  in  town. 
Ebenezer  Dearborn,  Elijah  Colburn,  Micah  Eldridge,  Jo- 
siah  G.  Graves,*  Edward  Spalding,  Josiah  Kittredge, 
Evan  B.  Hammond,  J.  H.  Graves.*  J.  F.  Whittle. 
J.  &  S.  Ball,  Surgeon  Dentists. 

*  Now  reside  in  Nashville. 


-m 


APPENDIX  NO.  VI. 


LIST  OF  THE  REPRESENTATIVES  TO  THE 
GENERAL  COURT. 

1689,  May  session,  John  Waldo. 

June  session,  Cornelius  Waldo. 
December  session,  Robert  Parris. 

1692,  Hon.  Jonathan  Tyngand  Maj.  Thomas  Henchman. 

From  this  time,  until  annexed  to  New  Hampshire,  it 
was  too  poor  and  feeble  to  be  able  to  send  a  Representa- 
tive. After  its  annexation  to  New  Hampshire,  the  Royal 
Governor  refused  the  town  the  privilege  of  representation. 
In  1768,  it  was  classed  with  Hollis,  and  Dr.  John  Hale 
elected. 

1774,  September,  Jonathan  Lovewell,  delegate  to  the 
Revolutionary  Convention  at  Exeter. 

1775,  April,  Joseph  Ayers,  delegate  to  the  Revolutionary 
Convention  at  Exeter. 

1775,  May,  Joseph  Ayers  and  Noah  Lovewell,  delegates 
to  the  Revolutionary  Convention  at  Exeter. 

1775,  December,  Jonathan  Blanchard,  delegate  to  the 
Revolutionary  Convention  at  Exeter. 

1776,  Jonathan  Blanchard. 
Jonathan  Lovewell,  1777,  1778. 
Noah  Lovewell,  1779,  1780. 
William  Hunt,  1781. 
Benjamin  French,  1782. 


-a 


266 


APPENDIX. 


[Names  of  Representatives  from  1782  to  1793,  not  pre- 
served.] 

Frederick  French,  1793, 1795, 1797, 1803,  1805,  1806. 

Noah  Lovewell,  1794,  1796,  1802. 

Theodore  French,  1801,  1804. 

Zaccheus  Lovewell,  1807. 

Thomas  French,  1809,  1813, 1814. 

Daniel  Abbot,  1810, 1811,  1812,  1821,  1838,  1839. 

Timothy  Taylor,  1815. 

Jesse  Bowers,  1816, 1817, 1818,  1819, 1820,  1822,  1823, 
1824. 

Benjamin  F.  French,  1825.  1826, 1829. 

1826,  Benjamin  F.  French,  Eleazer  F.  lugalls. 

1827,  Eleazer  F.  Ingalls,  William  Boardman. 

1828,  Israel  Hunt,  Jr.,  Moody  D.  Lovewell. 

1829,  Benjamin  F.  French,  James  Osgood. 

1830,  Moody  D.  Lovewell,  Charles  G.  Atherton. 

1831,  James  Osgood,  Josiah  Fletcher,  (died  before  tak- 
ing his  seat.) 

1832,  Eleazer  F.  Ingalls,  Robert  Anderson. 
1883,  Charles  G.  Atherton,  Moody  D.  Lovewell. 

1834,  Moody  D.  Lovewell,  Charles  G.  Atherton,  Zebe- 
diah  Shattuck. 

1835,  same  as  1834. 

1836,  Charles  G.  Atherton,  Benjamin  L.  Jones,  Zebe- 
clinh  Shattuck. 

1837,  Benjamin   L.   Jones,  George   W.  Bagley,  Hugh 
Jameson,  Charles  J.  Fox. 

1838,  Daniel   Abbot,  Stephen    Kendrick,  George    Y. 
Sawyer,  Silas  Butterfield. 

1839,  same  as  1838. 

1840,  George  Y.  Sawyer,  Isaac  Spalding,  Albin  Beard, 
Josephus  Baldwin. 

1841,  same  as  1840. 


APPENDIX. 


267 


1842,  Leonard  W.  Noyes,  Abner  Andrews,  Anthony 
Gage. 

1843,  Josephus  Baldwin, 

1844,  no  election, 

1845,  Thomas  Chase,  William  F.  Lawrence,  Josephus 
Baldwin. 

1846,  Thomas    Chase,  William  F.  Lawrence,   Isaac 
Spalding,  Aaron  F.  Sawyer. 

REPRESENTATIVES    OF    NASHVILLE. 

1843,  William  Boardman,  Albert  McKean, 

1844,  E.  T.  Merrill,  Albert  McKean. 

1845,  William  Wetherbee,  Ziba  Gay, 

1846,  Ziba  Gay,  Albin  JBeard, 


APPENDIX  NO.  VII. 


PROPORTION  OF  THE  PUBLIC  TAXES  AT 
VARIOUS    PERIODS. 

THE  wealth  of  the  town  as  compared  with  that  of  the 
whole  State  may  be  learned  from  the  following  apportion- 
ments required  to  be  paid  by  the  town  at  different  periods 
out  of  every  thousand  dollars  raised  by  the  State. 

1775:  the  proportion  was  $5.15 

1794:  "  "  "  4.14 

1803:  "  «  «  3.43 

1808:  «  "  "  3.80 

1812:  «  "  «  3.47 

1816:  "  "  "  4.46 

1820:  "  "  "  4.20 

1824:  "  "  "  4.83 

1828:  «'  "  "  10.00 

1832:  "  "  "  11.09 

1836:  «  «  "  29.19 

1840:  «  «  "  28.50 

1844:  «  "  «  20.42 

Nashville's  proportion  in  1844,  was  14.98 


APPENDIX  NO.  VIII. 


VALUE  OF    SILVER    AT   DIFFERENT    PERIODS. 

IN  order  to  compare  the  value  of  sums  of  money  as 
used  at  different  periods,  the  fluctuation  of  which,  as  com- 
pared with  paper,  has  been  very  great,  I  subjoin  the  follow- 
ing table  prepared  by  Dr.  Belknap,  5  N.  H.  Hist.  Coll., 
258.  The  value  of  silver  is  now  fixed  at  six  shillings  eight 
pence  ($1.08)  per  ounce.  In  1750,  it  was  worth  56  shillings 
per  ounce.  The  common  currency  had  depreciated  there- 
fore in  1750,  88  per  cent.,  or  a  dollar  in  paper  was  worth 
but  12  cents  in  silver. 

In  1700  silver  was  worth  about  10  shillings  per  ounce. 


1.704 
1705 
1710 
1715 
1720 
1725 
1730 
1735 
1740 
1745 
1750 


7  " 
10 

8  " 
10  " 
12  " 
15(1.)" 
21  " 
27  « 
29  " 
36  " 
56  « 


(1.)  In  1721  the  colony  issued  50,0001.  bills  of  credit,  and  in  1727, 
60,000i.  more.  Other  issues  were  made  about  1745,  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  the  Louisburg  Expedition.  From  these  periods  the  rise 
in  the  value  of  silver  as  compared  with  paper  is  very  striking;. 


APPENDIX  NO.  IX. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  POST  OFFICE  IN  NASHUA.  (1.) 

THE  Post  Office  in  this  town  was  established  some- 
time between  April  1st.,  and  July  1st.,  1803,  and  Gen.  Noah 
Lovewell  appointed  Postmaster.  The  office  was  opened 
in  the  tavern  of  Mr.  Cutnmings  Pollard,  who  was  appointed 
Assistant  Postmaster,  and  had  the  charge  of  the  office 
until  1811.  Up  to  that  time  it  was  located  in  the  tavern 
lately  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Silas  Gibson. 

In  1811,  the  office  was  removed  to  the  "  Harbour",  so 
called,  and  placed  under  the  charge  of  Israel  Hunt,  who 
was  appointed  Assistant  Postmaster,  and  in  whose  dwell- 
ing house  it  was  stationed.  After  its  removal  to  the  latter 
place,  it  being  located  near  the  residence  of  Gen.  Love- 
well,  he  continued  to  superintend  the  duties  of  the  office 
personally  until  his  death,  which  took  place  in  May,  1820. 
Upon  his  death,  John  M.  Hunt,  Esq.,  was  appointed  and 
commissioned  in  June,  1820.  He  established  the  office  in 
the  office  of  I.  and  J.  M.  Hunt,  (at  the  Harbour,)  where  it 
remained  until  1826,  when  it  was  removed  to  Nashua 
Village,  soon  after  the  erection  of  the  cotton  mills.  Since 
its  establishment  in  1803,  the  receipts  of  the  office  have 
increased  to  an  astonishing,  and  almost  incredible  degree. 

The  receipt  for  the  first  quarterly  balance  of  postage, 

(1.)  This  sketch  was  prepared  for  the  Nashua  Directory,  by 
John  M.  Hunt,  Esq. 


APPENDIX. 


271 


for  the.  quarter  ending  June  30,  1803,  is  still  on  tile  in  the 
office,  and  acknowledges  the  sum  of  twenty  cents! !  For 
the  quarter  ending  September  30,  1805,  the  receipts  of  the 
office  Jiad  increased  to  the  sum  of  two  dollars,  eighty-seven 
cents,  yielding  a  commission  as  compensation  for  discharg- 
ing the  various  duties  of  the  office  of  eighty-six  cents  per 
quarter,  or  three  dollars,  forty-four  cents  per  annum. 

But  a  glance  at  the  finances  of  the  office  at  periods  of 
ten  years  will  best  show  its  rapid  advancement, 
la  1810  the  net  rec'ts  to  the  Gen.  P.  O.  were  331.86:  gross  $48.00 


1820  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  55.95: 

1830  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  356.64: 

1340  "  "  "  "  ''  "  "  "  1715.53: 

1845  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  1902.30: 

First  6m'thsof '45  under  the  old  postage  law,   997.18: 
Last  6  months  under  the  new  law,  905.12 : 


"      80.00 
"    610.00 

"  2450.00 
"  2679.02 

"  1406.61 
"  1272.41 

Difference,  $92.06  S  134. 20 

The  present  facilities  for  travelling,  when  compared 
with  those  of  by-gone  days,  have  placed  the  expedition 
of  the  mails  on  a  par  with  their  advancement  in  amount 
of  business  and  increase  of  revenue.  In  former  times, 
Wheat's  old  mail  stage  occupied  two  days  in  travelling 
from  Amherst  to  Boston,  and  "  put  up  "  regularly  for  the 
night  in  Billerica.  Now  by  the  aid  of  steam  power  and 
railroad  accommodation,  we  can  receive  a  mail  from  Boston 
in  less  than  two  hours  ! 

Forty  years  ago  there  was  not  a  single  letter  or  news- 
paper brought  into  this  town  by  mail  conveyance.  For 
the  quarter  ending  September  30, 1840,  the  amount  of  post- 
age collected  on  letters  was  five  hundred  and  twenty-three 
dollars,  and  on  newspapers  and  pamphlets  one  hundred 
and  thirteen  dollars,  eighty  cents. 


APPENDIX  NO.  X. 


INVENTORY  AND  EXPENSES  OF  NASHUA. 

THE  Inventory  of  the  town  in  1839  was  $2,511,501.— 
In  1840  it  was  $2,467,822,  which  is  thus  made  up : 
Real   estate,  including  factory   buildings  and 
machinery,  mills,  locks  and  canals,  and  toll 
bridge,  $2,102,272 

285  horses  valued  at  14,656 

115  pairs  of  oxen  valued  at  4,250 

376  cows  "      "  9,373 

144  other  neat  stock,  "      "  2,437 

503  sheep  "      "  1,509 

Stock  in  trade  143,750 

Bank  stock  and  money  at  interest  112,900 

Other  stocks  70,400 

Carriages  6,275 

$2,467,822 

EXPENSES  OF  THE  TOWN  FOR  THE  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH,  1841. 

For  repairs  of  highways,  $1,933.88 

For  building  new  roads  2,928.22 

For  the  support  of  schools  and  school  houses  4,000.95 

For  military  expenses  331.50 

Amount  carried  up,  $9194.55 


APPENDIX. 


273 


Amount  brought  up, 
For  town  and  county  paupers 
For  police  expenses 
For  services  of  town  officers  and  incidental 

expenses 
For  bounties 

For  State  tax  for  the  year  1 840 
For  county  tax 
For  collection  of  taxes 
For  old  bills  and  orders 


$9104.55 

1,385.81 

84.36 

950.21 
11.25 

1,167.60 
768.61 
223.69 

1,518.33 

$15,304.41 


Of  this  amount  the  sum  of  $11,555.72  was  raised  by 
the  assessment  of  taxes,  and  the  balance  principally  de- 
frayed from  the  surplus  revenue. 

In  1740,  a  century  ago,  the  whole  amount  of  money 
raised  for  all  the  "  town  charges,"  exclusive  of  the  minis- 
ter tax,  was  about  Jifty  dollars ! 

The  following  tables  will  show  the  expenses  of  the 
towns  of  Nashua  and  Nashville,  for  the  year  1845 : 

EXPENSES    OP    NASHUA. 

Repairs  of  highways  and  bridges  $1816.88 

Support  of  schools  2223.37 

Military  expenses  141.00 

Balance  of  alms  house  expenses  451.58 

Pauper  expenses  other  than  alms  house  95.35 

County  paupers  300.65 

Town  house  77.50 

Fire  department  553.29 

Burial  grounds,  hearse,  &c.  62.81 

Police  expenses  119.61 


Amount  carried  up, 


$5,842.04 


274 


APPENDIX. 


Amount  brought  up, 
Printing  and  stationery 
Miscellaneous 
Old  bills  and  interest 
Services  of  town  officers 
State  and  county  tax 
Collection  of  taxes 


EXPENSES     OF    >TASHVILLE. 

Repairs  of  highways  and  bridges 

Schools  and  school  houses 

Military 

Printing  and  stationery 

Alms  house 

Paupers  other  than  alms  house 

County  paupers 

Town  officers 

Miscellaneous 

State  tax 

County  tax 

Paid  old  orders 

Tax  outstanding 

Paid  collector  and  constable 


$5,842.04 

79.50 

61.00 

7374.03 

375.08 

2775.79 

153.16 

$16,660.60 


1097.46 

2332.61 

115.50 

35.06 

934.70 

325.60 

134.00 

288.10 

485.25 

898.80 

U  37.50 

400.00 

137.40 

104.97 


APPENDIX  NO.  XL 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  DISTRICT  SCHOOLS. 

THE  town  was  first  divided  into  school  districts,  five  in 
number,  and  school  houses  erected,  in  1775.  Previously 
one  teacher  had  been  employed  by  the  town  to  "keep 
school"  in  different  places  alternately.  The  sum  raised 
never  exceeded  and  rarely  equalled  one  hundred  dollars. — 
There  are  now  eleven  districts,  and  the  whole  amount  of 
money  raised  and  expended  during  the  fiscal  year  1840, 
for  schools  and  school  houses,  was  $4,000.95 ;  of  which 
$263.93  only  were  expended  for  the  latter.  The  amount 
required  by  law  to  be  raised  by  the  town  was  only  $2,627.10. 

From  the  following  table  we  learn  that  there  were  11 
districts,  17  schools,  and  26  teachers.  The  amount  of  money 
expended  for  the  support  of  teachers  and  for  fuel,  was  $3,- 
411.00.  The  whole  number  of  scholars  in  all  the  districts 
was  1452.  Of  these  1268,  (viz:  613  males  and  655  fe- 
males,) attended  school  in  summer ;  and  1188,  (viz:  696 
males  and  492  females,)  attended  school  in  winter.  The 
average  attendance  in  summer  was  only  722,  however, 
and  in  winter  only  788  ;  shewing  that  almost  one  half  of 
all  the  children  in  town  were  constantly  absent  from 
school. 


, 


a  -  _  _£ 

276                                       APPENDIX. 

STATISTICS   OF    THE    SCHOOLS   IN   NASHUA,  FOR   1840. 

(Previous  to  the  division  of  the  Town.) 

5, 

3 

Terms. 

'/• 

02 

r- 

NUMBER  OF  TEACHERS. 

3 

K 
ft 

I 

i 
3- 

s  ~ 
5  P 

s 

z 

j  Whole  No.  Femz 

[ 

Census  of  Schola 

Amount  of  money 
pKJiiiiulecl. 

5' 

?- 

r~"-t 

-, 

f 

f 

%     I 

i 

Sum. 
Win. 
Sum. 
Win. 

1. 
1. 

I. 

1. 

One  female  teacher,            $ 
One  male. 

10.33 
26.00 

12 

In 
1 

27 
40 

U 

n 

11 
13 
17 
U 

U 

25 
H 

40 

131.00 

One  female. 
One  male. 

11.00 
25.00 

45 
36 

28 

as 

45 

131.00 

3 

Win! 

I 

4  females;  17,  14,  14  &  $11 
lm.ii.3fe.;  29,17,  14  k  $14. 

21 

293 

288 

in 

In, 

151 

r.-i 

LS5 

358 

758.16 

Sum. 
Win. 

1. 

1. 

One  female. 
One  male. 

11.60 
23.0(1 

n 
8 

24 

26 

12 

•.-1 

I.- 
5 

IS 

a 

29 

131.00  i 

5 

0 
7 
B 

1) 

10 

Sum. 
Win. 

1. 
1. 

One  female. 
One  male. 

11.32 

20.00 

I 

in 

20 
20 

LO 
U 

M 

18 

It 

22 

88.77 

Sum. 
Win. 

1. 
1. 

One  female. 
One  male. 

10.00 
21.  6b 

In 
11 

22 
33 

13 

a 

9 
10 

18 

a 
» 
a 

36 

131.00 

131.  70  i 

SS.77 

Sum. 
Win. 

1. 

One  female. 
One  male. 

12.00 
24.00 

11 
U 

40 
47 

17 
1! 

a 
a 

47 

Sum. 
Win. 

1. 
1. 

One  female. 
One  female. 

l-.'.OO 
12.00 

n 

Li 

31 

17 

u 

30 

wTn! 

sj 

2. 

•J. 

1  male  $42;  6  fern.  $13  each. 
1  male  $42;  6  fern.  $13  each. 

441 

415 

250 

iii.) 

2M 

M 
M 

556 

1177.47  j 

Sum. 
Win. 

•>  females;  wairei.  14  k  $13. 
1  male,  $26;   1  female.  $14. 

H 
U 

169 
114 

n 
n 

103 

til 

135 

316.69 

11 

Sum. 
Win. 

2. 

2  females;  wajres,  $14  each. 
1  male,  $27;  1  female,  $14. 

80 
13 

157 
138 

7S 

Ml 

56 

ui 
83 

154      326.14 

u 

17 

90  Tr»rnrn«                [Summer 

[Winter 

126S|613<fi.V>  772 
1188  d96  492  788 

1452 

3411.00 
.  i 

Of  the   scholars  in  all   the   schools,  1000   attended   to 

reading,  949  to  spelling,  831  to  arithmetic,  273  to  geogra- 

phy, 152  to  grammar,  54  to  history,  17  to  moral  philosophy, 

16  to  natural  philosophy,  8  to  chemistry,  and  7  to  algebra. 

B..-  -.- 

_.  _   .  .  —  _  

APPENDIX.                                           277 

STATISTICS    OF    THE    SCHOOLS    IN   NASHUA,    FOR    1845. 

Table  of  Teachers,  Sclwlars,  Attendance,  Sfc. 

c 

H     W                                                  -5    2     >  5?  "3  !»       5* 

01 

5' 

<T> 

•n 

3 

6 

0 

0!) 

• 

§ 

— 

• 

5 

ra" 

o 
5 

a 
r« 

0 

1 

r* 

3  ta 

*•< 

•j-. 

w 

No.  OF  TEACHERS. 

0    3 

d 

^* 

*a 

3-  53 

^ 

i 

0> 

fO 

g 

'    o 
p 

a 

c 

p. 

n> 

T3 

"I 

0 

p 

1  \  lst 

female.                   $ 

10.12 

14 

19 

09 

Id 

15 

101  34 

male. 

26.00 

9 

31 

20 

11 

O  ~ 

1st 

female. 

10.00 

12 

36 

25 

90  19 

>2d 

male. 

21.00 

10 

35 

20 

15 

o  ^ 

!lst 

1 

I 

female, 
female. 

12.00 
12.  CO 

16 
16 

47 
fit 

19 
30 

31 

2-1 
38 

302  31 

1 

male. 

26.00 

14 

M 

26 

2-1 

35 

9 

1  female. 

13.00 

12 

57 

35 

22 

39 

. 

' 

1 

1  male  &  2  females. 

68.00 

26 

188 

90 

98 

SO 

t 

2  females. 

26.00 

26 

1  36 

58 

78 

60 

3 

2  females. 

26.00 

26 

157 

75 

S2 

81 

4> 

4 

1  female. 

14.00 

2fp 

74 

38 

46 

40 

1416  97 

' 

l 

1  male  &  2  females. 

68.00 

11 

L3d 

r,i 

65 

93 

2d 

9 

3 

2  females. 
2  females. 

26.00 
26.00 

11 
11 

98 

97 

16 

52 
38 

71 
68 

4 

1  female. 

14.00 

11 

46 

19 

29 

33 

'; 

s<;  1st 

1 

1  female. 

10.00 

1(1 

•20 

9 

11 

10 

25  00  :. 

6$  1St 

1  female. 
1  male. 

10.00 
22.67 

12 

S 

18 

29 

10 

19 

8 

Ki 

14 
23 

98  34  | 

1st 

1  female. 

11.00 

17 

29 

15 

14 

'i;i 

107  34i 

2d            1  male. 

23.00  12 

36  18  IS 

30 

27$ 


APPENDIX. 


STATISTICS    OF    THE    SCHOOLS    IN    NASHVILLE,  FOR   1845. 

Table  of  Teachers.  Scholars,  Attendance,  Sfc. 


g 

$ 

r 

09 

- 

•x 

• 

~ 

> 

Q 

A 

K 

S 

i 

O 

= 

I 

^ 

r 

= 

] 

— 
UI 

= 

s 

n 

W 

a 

g 

"^~ 

J5 

*^! 

r* 

~*  ja 

•< 

/ 

i 

O 

9 

No.  or  TEACHERS. 

§§• 

£_ 

c 

ir 

—  , 

y. 

Ri 
•e 

IF? 

Z 

y 

S 

-j 

S 

!          3 

O 

— 

•L 

5 

o. 

3, 

•~ 
••" 

0_ 

- 

• 

re 
C. 

i 

1 

;;" 

n 

» 

fi«t 

1 

1  female.             S 

14.00 

20 

44 

20 

24 

2f> 

\  1st 

|2d 

2 

1 
2 

1  female. 
1  male. 
1  female. 

14.00 
30.00 
14.00 

If. 
[6 

66 
56 

24 

30 

30 

2G 

37 
59 

40 

16o 

8386  38 

1 

1  male. 

35.00 

26 

'.in 

42 

48 

BO 

2 

1  female. 

16.00 

36 

65 

30 

36 

48 

1st 

3 

1  female. 

16.00 

26 

70 

3C 

34 

:,:, 

|. 

4 
1 

1  female. 
1  male  &  female. 

16.00 
49.00 

26 

17 

85 
86 

31 

46 

46 

11 

52 

5JG 

442 

1032^95 

nA  1 

2 

1  female. 

16.00 

17 

H 

27 

38 

46 

2d  | 

.'i 

1  female. 

16.00 

17 

60 

33 

27 

4? 

I 

-! 

1  female. 

16.00 

1  '. 

77 

36 

42 

,3f. 

o  S  lst 

1  female. 

10.80 

11 

0.) 

If, 

f, 

If. 

3?2d 

1  male. 

21.00 

10 

15 

If. 

2 

12 

20 

91  75 

A<>   1St 

4^2d 

l  female. 
1  female. 

12.00 
13.25 

16 

12 

If, 

7 

10 

9 

12 

12 

i; 

10 

139  39 

There  are  two  academies  in  Nashua.  "The  Nashua 
Literary  Institution,"  David  Crosby,  A.  M., and  Mrs.  Louisa 
S.  H.  Crosby,  Principals:  and  "The  Nashua  Academy," 
Zuinglius  Grover,  A.  M.,  and  Miss  Caroline  Wood,  Princi- 
pals. These  academies  were  both  incorporated  in  1840. 
"  Abbot's  High  School,"  in  Nashville,  is  under  the  charge 
of  Mr.  Charles  Abbot.  Beside  the  usual  branches  taught 
in  high  schools,  daily  instruction  is  given  in  vocal  and  in- 
strumental music. 

There  are  also  numerous  private  schools  in  the  village, 
for  small  scholars. 


ERRATA.—  -In  a  work  abounding  li!<e  this  with  names  and  dates,  and  published  without 
('lie  last  revision  and  superintendence  of  (lie  author,  occasional  mistakes  will,  it  is  hoped,  be 
reminded  a*  excusable.  The  following  list  comprises  all  of  importance  which  have  been 
detected  : 

v    167,'      5,'from  bottom,  for  1818  read  1813. 
v"   ISO, 
181, 


Page.  Line. 

11,        7,  for  Dramcap  read  Dram-ciiy 
1.5.        3,  for  othordox  read  orthodox. 

'21,  for  1678  read  1675.  ,/ 

6,  for  sagamon  read  sagamore.          y 

note  I,  for  supra  read  infra. 
I ,       ID,  &  20,  for  Mag-nolia  read  Matjnalia.- 
9,  tor  sure  read  sore. 
;") ,  from  bottom ,  for  Shfite  rea 


VI) 

y  66, 


207, 


a, from  bottom,  for  Shnteread  Slui(e38, 

3,  for  Satwych's  read  Lutwyche's.  ^241, 

19,  for  1631  read  1731.  V§4ti, 

SUforThebridjereadNobridg-e.  s/251, 
33,  for  eiVccted  read  affected. 

5,  from  bottom,  for  1746  read  1764.  fjAl, 
I'i,  from  lop,  for  even  read  ever.  vr*^' 

6,  from  bottom,  for  1758  read  1759. 


note,  line  6,  for  Kindg-e  read  Rahy 

7,  from  topi  tor  voted  read  vested. 
l:i,  from  top,  for  $15 ,000 read  $1500. 

2,  from  bottom,  for  1848  read  1815. 
21,  from  top,  for  1775  read  1765. 
last  line,  for  1775  read  1785. 
16,  for  1706  read  17*. 

8,  for  Warner  read  Warner. 
1,  for  1791  read  1691. 

7,  for  1680  read  1670. 

8,  for  1690  read  1691. 
4,  for  180  read  100. 

last  line,  for  3,462.93  read  S.42S.9J. 


The  name  spelt  "  Lollendine"   in  the   body  of  the  work,  is  griven   as   "Sollendine"   in 
•  Appendix,  which,  on  examination  of  the  ancient  records,  appears  to  be  correct. 


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